According to Databarracks’ Data Health Check 2025, UK organisations now rank AI-driven attacks as the biggest cyber threat they face, and the top resilience challenge for the next five years.

In the past year alone, 12% of businesses were affected by AI-driven attacks, including deepfakes. The rate was even higher among large organisations, with nearly 1 in 5 (18%) experiencing such attacks. In the tech and telecoms sector, the overall figure also hit 18% – making it the most targeted industry.

Deepfakes – synthetic audio, video or imagery generated by AI – are powering a new wave of impersonation attacks, with major implications for fraud, trust and crisis response.

Chris Butler, Resilience Director at Databarracks, commented: “When we're working with organisations to run cyber exercises, deepfakes are now front of mind. They’re an emerging threat that most organisations still don’t feel equipped to handle. Exercises are often the first time teams seriously consider how they’d respond – and that’s where the gaps start to show."

The Data Health Check – now in its 18th year – surveyed 500 IT decision-makers across the UK and paints a clear picture of rising AI anxiety. AI-driven attacks, including deepfakes, are now:

• Rated the #1 cyber risk
• Seen as the #1 resilience challenge over the next five years
• The top trigger for security reviews
• The largest area of IT security budget growth in 2025

Despite this, attitudes toward AI remain conflicted. Even as incidents rise and defences are tested, 72% still view AI as a net security benefit – up from 63% in 2024.

“AI is a tool and is quickly becoming a foundational technology. That means it’s both a weapon for criminals and a shield to improve defences. Many are still optimistic, even excited, about what AI can do. The challenge is to innovate and adapt as quickly as the attackers.” said Butler.

Developments in AI are happening against a backdrop of intensifying cyber pressure.

The report reveals that cyber is the leading cause of data loss and downtime for the third year running, with 71% of UK organisations experiencing cyber attacks in the last twelve months – the highest figure recorded since the survey began. And the stakes are only rising. The recent wave of attacks on major UK businesses like JLR, M&S, Co-op and Harrods shows just how disruptive and far-reaching these threats can be.

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