Verified market cyber context · United Kingdom
Reported cyber breach and attack context for UK businesses
Market context — not industry-specific evidence
These figures are drawn from the UK Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026. They describe business-wide reported cyber context in the United Kingdom; they are not industry-specific findings for the sector shown on this page.
Businesses identifying a breach or attack
- UK businesses
- 43%
- Unit
- percent
- Period
- 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months
- Scope
- United Kingdom businesses across sectors
Reported having identified any kind of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. This equates to approximately 612,000 UK businesses.
Reported context by business size
- Micro
- 42%
- Unit
- percent
- Period
- 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months
- Scope
- United Kingdom businesses across sectors
- Small
- 46%
- Unit
- percent
- Period
- 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months
- Scope
- United Kingdom businesses across sectors
- Medium
- 65%
- Unit
- percent
- Period
- 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months
- Scope
- United Kingdom businesses across sectors
- Large
- 69%
- Unit
- percent
- Period
- 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months
- Scope
- United Kingdom businesses across sectors
Percentage of businesses in each size category reporting an identified breach or attack in the last 12 months.
Selected reported breach or attack types
- Phishing
- 38%
- Unit
- percent
- Period
- 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months
- Scope
- United Kingdom businesses across sectors
- Impersonation
- 12%
- Unit
- percent
- Period
- 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months
- Scope
- United Kingdom businesses across sectors
- Ransomware
- 1%
- Unit
- percent
- Period
- 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months
- Scope
- United Kingdom businesses across sectors
Business-wide UK survey context; these figures are not an industry-specific threat profile.
Charities identifying a breach or attack
- UK charities
- 28%
- Unit
- percent
- Period
- 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months
- Scope
- United Kingdom businesses across sectors
Reported having identified any kind of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. This equates to approximately 57,000 UK charities.
United Kingdom charity survey result; not industry-specific evidence. Findings reflect breaches or attacks organisations identified and were willing to report.
Source: UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026
Scope: United Kingdom business-wide survey context; not industry-specific evidence for the selected page. Findings reflect breaches or attacks organisations identified and were willing to report.
Methodology: The survey reports breaches or attacks that UK organisations were able to identify and willing to report. Hidden or unidentified activity may mean reported prevalence understates the full extent of cyber breaches or attacks.
Accessible data table
| Metric | Value | Source | Scope | Reporting period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK businesses | 43% percent | UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 | United Kingdom businesses across sectors | 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months |
| Micro | 42% percent | UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 | United Kingdom businesses across sectors | 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months |
| Small | 46% percent | UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 | United Kingdom businesses across sectors | 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months |
| Medium | 65% percent | UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 | United Kingdom businesses across sectors | 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months |
| Large | 69% percent | UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 | United Kingdom businesses across sectors | 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months |
| Phishing | 38% percent | UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 | United Kingdom businesses across sectors | 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months |
| Impersonation | 12% percent | UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 | United Kingdom businesses across sectors | 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months |
| Ransomware | 1% percent | UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 | United Kingdom businesses across sectors | 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months |
| UK charities | 28% percent | UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 | United Kingdom businesses across sectors | 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months |
| Percentage of United Kingdom businesses in the source-defined Finance or insurance sector reporting that they identified any kind of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. | 44% percent | UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 | United Kingdom businesses across sectors | 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months |
| Percentage of United Kingdom businesses in the source-defined Health or social care sector reporting that they identified any kind of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. | 33% percent | UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 | United Kingdom businesses across sectors | 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months |
| Percentage of United Kingdom businesses in the source-defined Information and communication sector reporting that they identified any kind of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. | 63% percent | UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 | United Kingdom businesses across sectors | 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months |
| Percentage of United Kingdom businesses in the source-defined Utilities or production category, which includes manufacturing, reporting that they identified any kind of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. | 49% percent | UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 | United Kingdom businesses across sectors | 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months |
| Percentage of United Kingdom businesses in the source-defined Transport or storage sector reporting that they identified any kind of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. | 45% percent | UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 | United Kingdom businesses across sectors | 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months |
| Percentage of United Kingdom businesses in the source-defined Professional, scientific or technical sector reporting that they identified any kind of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. | 54% percent | UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 | United Kingdom businesses across sectors | 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months |
| Percentage of United Kingdom businesses in the source-defined Administration or real estate sector reporting that they identified any kind of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. | 48% percent | UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 | United Kingdom businesses across sectors | 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months |
| Percentage of United Kingdom businesses in the source-defined Construction sector reporting that they identified any kind of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. | 45% percent | UK DSIT and Home Office, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 | United Kingdom businesses across sectors | 2025/2026 survey; breaches or attacks identified in the last 12 months |
