Concern about cyberattacks disrupting supply chains has reached its highest recorded level among larger UK businesses, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics.

In October 2026, 21% of businesses with 10 or more employees said they were concerned about cyberattacks affecting their supply chains over the next 12 months. That was up five percentage points from September 2026 and nine points from September 2025, and the highest share since the question was introduced in September 2024.

Concern about artificial intelligence rose sharply too. Around one in nine businesses of that size, 12%, said they were worried about AI affecting supply chains, up from 5% in September. That was also the highest level since the question began.

The findings come from wave 167 of the Business Insights and Conditions Survey, which ran from 19 October to 1 November 2026. The survey drew 9,628 responses from 38,542 sampled businesses, a response rate of 25%.

International conflict remained the most frequently cited supply chain concern, named by 31% of businesses with 10 or more employees. That figure was broadly stable since June 2026, though it has generally fallen since peaking at 38% in April 2026.

Shipping disruption was cited by 21% of larger businesses, the same share as cyberattacks, while 15% pointed to increased barriers to trade and 12% to climate change. Over a third, 36%, said they were not concerned about any of the listed factors affecting their supply chains over the next year, a share that has generally fallen since the question was introduced in September 2024, when it stood at 57%.

The survey also found that supply chain costs are a growing worry. Of larger businesses that reported on their supply chain concerns in October, 64% expected the cost of sourcing materials to be affected, up nine percentage points from September, and 60% expected transport costs to be affected, up nine points on September and 27 points on September 2025.

Energy and fuel prices remain a widespread concern. Almost seven in ten businesses, 69%, expressed some degree of concern about energy prices in late October, up six percentage points from August, while 70% were concerned about fuel prices, up eight points over the same period. Among businesses with 10 or more employees, the figures were higher still, at 77% for energy and 76% for fuel.

The ONS cautions that the survey measures what businesses expect, not what has actually happened. The figures capture perceived risk rather than confirmed disruption, so they do not show that cyber incidents or AI failures have increased by the same amount. The ONS also describes the results as official statistics in development and advises caution when using the data, noting that the voluntary survey's estimates are subject to sampling variability.

Trading conditions were largely steady. In late October, 95% of businesses reported that they were trading, with 86% fully trading and 9% partially trading, while 3% said they had temporarily paused trading and 2% had permanently ceased trading.

The next release of the survey is due on 19 November 2026, when it will become clear whether the rise in cyber and AI concern persists.