IBM Report: UK Firms Face Soaring AI Security Breaches

New research from IBM reveals a significant rise in AI-related security breaches impacting UK businesses. Over one in five firms experienced such an incident in the past year. IBM's 2026 Cost of a Data Breach report shows a 56% surge in AI-driven cyberattacks. This leads to an average cost of $6 million per breach. Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting AI systems and using the technology for more sophisticated attacks. Around 20% of organizations reported breaches where AI models or applications were the direct target. Weaknesses in surrounding systems, like compromised APIs and cloud misconfigurations, are common entry points. Deepfake impersonation is the most prevalent AI-enabled attack, cited by 45% of respondents. There are also growing AI-powered malware and phishing campaigns. In response, 61% of UK firms plan to increase cybersecurity investments in areas like incident response and AI governance. Globally, 85% of organizations plan similar security budget increases. This matters because AI-related security threats are growing and impacting businesses directly.