// INDUSTRY INSIGHT //
Adriaan Bekker, CISO & Microsoft Services Director, Softwerx an amplifier. While it’ s true that AI is increasing the speed, scale and sophistication of attacks, the vulnerabilities being exploited already exist. AI enables threat actors to identify and exploit existing weaknesses more efficiently and human beings remain the weakest link in the chain. Some 98 % of cyberattacks rely on social engineering according to the latest Verizon Data Breach Report.
It is more critical than ever that mid-market businesses have robust cyber-resilience strategies in place.
Mid-market, maximum risk: Why cybercriminals are zeroing in on SMEs
The UK Government’ s 2024 Cyber Security Breaches Survey found that 45 % of mediumsized businesses experienced cybercrime in the last 12 months, a rise from 26 % in the previous year ' s survey.
how AI is being used to refine encryption strategies and evade endpoint detection systems. These intelligent attacks can identify high-value targets such as financial records or intellectual property, execute outside of business hours to avoid detection and spread rapidly across networks without human intervention.
But it’ s important to understand that AI is not the root cause of these cyberbreaches. It’ s simply
The game has changed. Mid-market companies are no longer flying under the radar. They are now prime targets. Exposed and increasingly under attack.
And the reason for this shift? Because midmarket businesses are vulnerable. It only takes one bad day for criminals to succeed.
They hold valuable data but often lack the hardened defences, rapid response plans and
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