Financial pressures are pushing cybersecurity down the precedence record for a lot of SMBs in accordance with The CyberSmart MSP Survey 2026. Notably, 46% of MSP prospects are extra involved about operational challenges comparable to rising prices and inflation than cybersecurity dangers, regardless of growing threats. In the meantime, MSPs themselves recognized AI-driven threats as their high safety concern for the second consecutive 12 months.
The 2026 analysis, carried out by OnePoll, options insights from 350 MSP leaders throughout the UK and Eire, spanning a number of industries and serving prospects starting from 1 to 250+ workers.
Worryingly, three quarters of MSPs admitted to struggling at the least one breach within the final 12 months, with 54% reporting being breached two or extra occasions and almost a 3rd (32%) of respondents admitting to experiencing three or extra breaches. Though down on final 12 months, this reveals that repeat breaches are nonetheless concerningly commonplace and that MSPs stay a priceless goal for cybercriminals.
MSPs ranked AI as the highest risk dealing with their organisation for the second 12 months in a row (49%). Notably, inflation and spiralling prices have jumped from fifth to third place (38%) this 12 months. Geopolitical instability could also be a contributing issue to this, given its widespread impression on inflation, vitality costs and total financial uncertainty.
Moreover, provide chain danger has risen from seventh (15%) to sixth (19%) amongst MSPs’ high considerations. This shift doubtless displays the rising focus launched by the Cyber Safety and Resilience Invoice, which locations higher scrutiny on MSPs’ function inside the provide chain for the primary time and is prompting many to reassess their place and tasks.
59% of MSPs really feel that their prospects are extra in danger previously 12 months than they beforehand have been. This displays latest knowledge from the UK Authorities’s Cyber Safety Breaches Survey 2025/6, which discovered that 46% of small and 65% of medium sized companies within the UK had skilled at the least one cyber breach or assault previously 12 months.
In terms of threats dealing with prospects, 46% of MSPs ranked inflation and spiralling prices as the highest perceived risk. This ranked increased than ransomware or malware infections (41%), rising AI threats (37%) and provide chain threats (25%). This means that for a lot of organisations, day-to-day enterprise pressures and monetary stability are taking priority over rising and even established cyber threats, highlighting that enterprise resilience is at the moment being formed as a lot by financial situations as by the cyber risk panorama.
Nevertheless, MSPs recommend that the overwhelming majority (87%) of their prospects have common or above ranges of cyber data.
Jamie Akhtar, CEO and Co-Founding father of CyberSmart, mentioned: “Cyber danger and financial strain are actually inseparable. MSPs can not promote cybersecurity in isolation when rising prices dominate buyer priorities. The actual problem has moved past the tech stack into legal responsibility, compliance and accountability. For SMEs, the hot button is embedding safety into day-to-day operations and dealing with trusted companions to keep up resilience with out including pointless complexity or price.”
The share of MSPs reporting elevated scrutiny fell from 77% in 2025 to 70% in 2026, suggesting buyer expectations have gotten extra standardised. Quite than intensifying year-on-year, safety scrutiny now seems to be stabilising as a baseline a part of procurement, compliance and vendor oversight.
Curiously, buyer expectations of MSPs are altering too, with 61% of shoppers now anticipating assist with compliance necessities. In response to this, MSP funding in compliance and rules has risen from 64% to 72%. MSPs are quick changing into managed compliance providers, in addition to cybersecurity and IT infrastructure companions.
That is unsurprising on condition that rules and certifications, like Cyber Necessities, are altering in favour of protecting corporations accountable for a steady dedication to safety. Subsequently, SMEs will doubtless flip to MSPs to assist them keep compliance and safety requirements all year long. To raised assist prospects, MSPs are prioritising investments in coaching (51%), steady monitoring (46%) and proactive danger administration (44%) over the subsequent one to a few years.
