Cyber criminals are now scanning business devices more than 4,000 times a day, following on from a summer which saw some of the worst-ever cyber attacks to hit UK businesses.

The retail sector has been one of the top ransomware targets this year, with Marks & Spencer, the Co-op and Harrods being impacted by hacking gangs.

According to BT, new data suggests that these criminals are now targeting networked devices, which include IoT systems like security cameras, over 4,000 times each day as they look for weaknesses in UK retail firms.

The data also shows that professional services such as accountancy, legal and consultancy firms are the most targeted sector for ransomware attacks, followed by retail businesses.

“Cybercrime is a threat to all businesses, not just the household names that make headlines when they get hacked,” said Chris Sims, chief commercial officer at BT Business.

“Although small businesses often don’t consider themselves prime targets, they’re under attack like never before, as cybercriminals increasingly use AI to scan for and exploit vulnerabilities.”

The hospitality and leisure sector has been the third-largest victim in the last year, as criminals look to exploit valuable guest data and payment details.

While BT’s data additionally indicates that ransomware hits smaller businesses the hardest, with firms employing fewer than 25 staff the most targeted group for attacks.

In response to this growing threat, the telecoms firm has partnered with CrowdStrike to launch an AI-powered antivirus specifically designed for small businesses and those in the retail sector, who are most likely to succumb to the ransomware attacks that follow on from cyber probes.

Daniel Bernard, chief business officer at CrowdStrike said: “Adversaries are weaponising AI to launch faster, more targeted attacks, and BT’s data shows the scale of that threat is only accelerating.”

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