Concern about cyberattacks disrupting supply chains has reached its highest level since the Office for National Statistics (ONS) began asking UK businesses about the risk, new survey figures show.

In late October 2026, 21% of businesses with ten or more employees said they were concerned about cyberattacks affecting their supply chains over the next 12 months. That is up five percentage points from September 2026 and nine points from September 2025, according to the ONS Business Insights and Conditions Survey published on 5 November.

Concern about artificial intelligence rose even faster. Around one in nine firms of that size (12%) said they were worried about AI disrupting supply chains, up from 5% in September. Both figures are the highest recorded since the questions were introduced in September 2024.

International conflict remained the most frequently cited supply-chain worry, named by 31% of larger businesses. Shipping disruption was cited by 21%, the same share as cyberattacks, while 15% pointed to increased barriers to trade.

The figures measure what businesses expect, not the number of attacks that have actually happened. The ONS describes the results as official statistics in development and advises caution in using them: the survey is voluntary, and the latest wave drew 9,628 responses from 38,542 sampled businesses, a response rate of 25%.

The survey ran from 19 October to 1 November 2026. The next release is due on 19 November, when it will become clear whether the jump in technology worries persists or fades. Read the full ONS bulletin for the underlying data.