UK Businesses Face AI Challenges as 80% Encounter Issue with Talent Shortages
The technology giant, Cisco, has released its "2025 Cybersecurity Readiness Index" report, which sheds light on the current state of cybersecurity preparedness among UK businesses. Based on a survey of 3000 security and business leaders in the UK, the report reveals a growing trend in the adoption of AI-driven technologies, but also highlights some concerning cybersecurity challenges.
A significant number of UK organisations (65%) are investing in AI-driven technologies, marking a 10% increase from last year. These technologies are being deployed across various industries, including manufacturing and healthcare, to bolster cybersecurity defences and accelerate AI transformation. Notable companies like NTT DATA are leading this charge.
However, the report also underscores some worrying trends. Persistent cybersecurity skills shortages remain a concern, with nearly half (48%) of UK businesses having over 10 positions in their security team that remain unfilled, an increase from last year's figure of 41%. This skills gap could potentially undermine the effectiveness of AI-driven cybersecurity solutions.
The readiness of responding companies was evaluated across five areas: identity, network resilience, machine trustworthiness, cloud reinforcement, and AI fortification. The report found that only 4% of UK companies were classified as "mature" in terms of readiness, but this figure had doubled from the previous report.
AI-related incidents in UK firms ranged from exposure of training data to model theft, data poisoning, prompt injection, and AI-enhanced social engineering. Over half (52%) of UK firms aren't confident in being able to detect shadow AI in the organisation, and only 45% of UK respondents claimed they allocate more than 10% of their IT budget to cybersecurity, a decrease of 9% annually.
On a positive note, 71% of UK organisations are using AI tools for response and recovery, and 81% are using AI tools for threat detection. Despite the challenges, the report indicates a growing recognition of the importance of AI in tackling cyber risk, with 92% of UK organisations using AI for this purpose.
The report serves as a call to action for UK businesses to address the cybersecurity skills gap and invest more resources in AI-driven technologies to bolster their defences against evolving cyber threats. As AI continues to play an increasingly important role in business operations, ensuring its security will be crucial in maintaining trust and protecting sensitive data.
