Concern about cyberattacks disrupting supply chains has reached its highest recorded level among larger UK businesses, according to the Office for National Statistics. In late October, 21 per cent of businesses with at least ten employees said they were worried about cyberattacks affecting their supply chains over the next 12 months, up from 16 per cent in September and 12 per cent a year earlier.

Worry about artificial intelligence rose sharply too. Twelve per cent of businesses of that size named AI as a possible source of supply chain disruption, compared with 5 per cent in September. Both figures are the highest since the ONS began asking the questions in September 2024.

International conflict remained the most frequently cited concern, named by 31 per cent of larger businesses, while 21 per cent pointed to shipping disruption. Just over a third, 36 per cent, said they had no concern about any of the listed disruption factors.

Energy costs also weighed heavily. Seven in ten businesses reported some concern about energy prices, up six percentage points since August, and 70 per cent were concerned about fuel prices, up eight points. Almost two-thirds of larger firms expected the cost of sourcing materials to be affected, and 60 per cent expected transport costs to be hit, both up nine points on September.

The figures come from wave 167 of the Business Insights and Conditions Survey, which ran from 19 October to 1 November and drew 9,628 responses from 38,542 sampled businesses. The ONS describes the results as official statistics in development and advises caution in their use. The survey measures what businesses fear may happen, not how often cyber incidents actually occur. The next release is due on 19 November. Read the full bulletin from the Office for National Statistics.