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 prime safety concern for the second consecutive yr.
The 2026 analysis, performed by OnePoll, options insights from 350 MSP leaders throughout the UK and Eire, spanning a collection of industries and serving prospects starting from 1 to 250+ workers.
Worryingly, three quarters of MSPs admitted to struggling no less than 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 yr, this reveals that repeat breaches are nonetheless concerningly commonplace and that MSPs stay a invaluable goal for cybercriminals.
MSPs ranked AI as the highest risk going through their organisation for the second yr in a row (49%). Notably, inflation and spiralling prices have jumped from fifth to third place (38%) this yr. Geopolitical instability could also be a contributing issue to this, given its widespread influence on inflation, power costs and total financial uncertainty.
Moreover, provide chain danger has risen from seventh (15%) to sixth (19%) amongst MSPs’ prime issues. This shift seemingly displays the rising focus launched by the Cyber Safety and Resilience Invoice, which locations better scrutiny on MSPs’ function throughout the provide chain for the primary time and is prompting many to reassess their place and obligations.
59% of MSPs really feel that their prospects are extra in danger previously 12 months than they beforehand had been. This displays current 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 no less than one cyber breach or assault previously yr.
In relation to threats going through prospects, 46% of MSPs ranked inflation and spiralling prices as the highest perceived risk. This ranked greater 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.
Nonetheless, MSPs recommend that the overwhelming majority (87%) of their prospects have common or above ranges of cyber information.
Jamie Akhtar, CEO and Co-Founding father of CyberSmart, stated: “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 secret’s embedding safety into day-to-day operations and dealing with trusted companions to keep up resilience with out including pointless complexity or value.”
The share of MSPs reporting elevated scrutiny fell from 77% in 2025 to 70% in 2026, suggesting buyer expectations have gotten extra standardised. Slightly 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 companies, in addition to cybersecurity and IT infrastructure companions.
That is unsurprising provided that rules and certifications, like Cyber Necessities, are altering in favour of preserving corporations accountable for a steady dedication to safety. Subsequently, SMEs will seemingly flip to MSPs to assist them preserve compliance and safety requirements all year long. To higher assist prospects, MSPs are prioritising investments in coaching (51%), steady monitoring (46%) and proactive danger administration (44%) over the following one to 3 years.
