Clutch Survey: AI Threats Drive Cyber Attack Surge, 73% of Businesses Hit

73% of businesses have experienced a cyber incident, and 83% will invest in cybersecurity in the next 12 months.

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new survey from Clutch reveals that 73% of businesses have experienced a cyber attack, and 75% of those occurred within the past year. To match the rise in AI-powered threats, 83% of companies say they plan to invest in cybersecurity in the next 12 months.

The Rise of AI-Driven Cyber Threats

AI is reshaping cybercrime, making attacks more realistic, targeted, and scalable. Phishing and impersonation scams powered by AI are on the rise, leaving 77% of business leaders concerned.

“AI is fundamentally changing the nature of cyber threats, making them harder to detect and more damaging when successful,” said Hannah Hicklen, who oversees content related to tech and cybersecurity at Clutch.

Where Companies Are Investing in Cybersecurity

Most businesses are focusing their cybersecurity investments on technical defenses like endpoint protection, network security, vulnerability management, and incident response tools. These measures are essential but not enough.

Many companies continue to underinvest in employee training, even though human error remains one of the top causes of successful breaches. As cyber attacks grow more sophisticated and AI-driven phishing becomes harder to detect, employee awareness is often the first (and most effective) line of defense.

Small Businesses at Higher Risk

Despite 58% of companies with fewer than 200 employees having faced a cyber attack, 13% of small businesses still believe they’re less vulnerable— a risky misconception. Without the financial cushion to recover from major incidents, even a single breach can be devastating. For small businesses, investing in prevention isn’t optional, it’s survival.

Clutch's small business cybersecurity survey included 406 US small business owners and managers. The full report is available on Clutch.

About Clutch

Clutch empowers better business decisions as the leading global marketplace of B2B service providers. More than 1 million business leaders start at Clutch each month to read in-depth client interviews and discover trusted agency partners to meet their business needs. Clutch has been honored for the past eight consecutive years as an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company and by the Washington Business Journal as one of the 50 fastest-growing private companies in the DC metro area for 2023.