Top Cyber Threats and Prevention Trends in 2026

The cyber attacks that dominated headlines in 2025 – whether high-impact ransomware incidents like the Marks & Spencer breach, supply-chain compromises such as Bank Sepah, or critical infrastructure attacks affecting organisations like Collins Aerospace – highlight a growing reality: no organisation is too small, local, or operationally traditional to be targeted anymore.

Here in Greater Manchester, we’ve seen the ripple effect first-hand. Local SMEs, charities, schools, professional services firms and manufacturers rely more than ever on cloud systems, remote workforces and third-party tools. This digital growth brings incredible opportunities – but it also expands the attack surface dramatically.

Across the UK, ransomware surged by 60% in the first half of 2025, with attackers taking advantage of operational weaknesses, cloud misconfigurations and fragmented IT environments. Meanwhile, cyber criminals and nation-state groups have weaponised artificial intelligence (AI) to automate phishing, deepfake social engineering, and malware creation. Attacks are faster, more personalised, and more convincing.

But the good news is that defensive AI and modern security frameworks are also evolving quickly, giving businesses in Greater Manchester access to the kind of protection once reserved for global enterprises.

Top Cyber Threats Anticipated in 2026

Cyber security risks are expected to escalate across several key areas, especially as Manchester's businesses continue expanding digital services, integrating AI tools, shifting to hybrid working, and relying on complex supplier ecosystems.

AI-Driven Attack Sophistication

2026 will see attackers using agentic AI systems to autonomously probe networks, craft targeted phishing campaigns, and generate deepfakes capable of bypassing traditional identity verification. For Greater Manchester businesses, this means: CEO impersonation attacks will become harder to detect; HR and finance may be targeted by deepfake voice or video; and AI-written phishing emails could become indistinguishable from genuine ones.

Expanding Digital Attack Surface

Local SMEs now operate across multi-cloud platforms, SaaS tools, remote devices, IoT systems, and AI-enabled applications. Third-party b reaches will remain a major concern. As seen in the Salesforce OAuth abuse and Jaguar Land Rover supplier incident, attackers increasingly compromise one trusted supplier to gain access to many organisations downstream. In Greater Manchester, businesses relying on Microsoft 365, cloud CRMs, outsourced developers or finance platforms, must ensure their suppliers meet modern cyber standards.

The Rise of Shadow AI in the Workplace

Employees across the region are rapidly adopting tools like ChatGPT and open-source LLMs to speed up admin tasks, reports, or coding. However, when staff copy confidential material into public AI tools, sensitive data may be exposed or retained outside organisational control. This will become a leading cyber risk for 2026.

AI-Driven Workforce Reductions Creating New Weaknesses

As companies automate processes with AI, operational insight can be lost if human checks are removed too quickly. Cyber criminals will exploit this during periods of rapid organisational change.

Onchain Cyber Crime and Cryptocurrency Attacks

As digital payments and blockchain technologies spread, criminals are expected to: target decentralised platforms, exploit vulnerabilities in smart contracts, attempt large-scale crypto exchange breaches, and migrate operations to public blockchains to evade law enforcement. While this affects the financial sector most directly, any Manchester business dealing with digital payments or fintech partners may feel downstream impact.

Fortifying Your Defences in 2026

1. Apex Winning Award for IT Support - Manchesters MSP

Need Help with IT Strategy Consulting? Apex Computing is ready to help

Tell us a few details about your business. One of our IT strategy consulting specialists will get in touch for a no-obligation chat about your challenges, goals, and next steps.

Manchester Office

45 Spring Gardens, Manchester, M2 2BG

MediaCity Office

Laser House, Media Village, Waterfront Quay, Salford Quays, M50 3XW

Phone

0161 233 0099

enquiries@apexcomputing.co.uk

↑