When a government minister stood on a podium in Glasgow and said, “the cyber front line is already here,” it did not sound like a warning. It sounded like a cold, unavoidable truth. In this episode, Noel Bradford is joined by Maurven and Graham, who attended Cyber UK 2026, to unpack what was said, what was left unsaid, and what it means for the small businesses quietly sitting inside UK supply chains. The scale of the threat is no longer theoretical. Nationally significant cyber incidents are rising sharply. A single breach at Jaguar Land Rover reportedly cost nearly £2 billion across its supplier network. Nation state actors and ruthless criminal gangs are attacking faster, harder, and with greater precision. The old excuse of “we are too small to be targeted” is now dangerously out of date. Noel, Maurven, and Graham break down the numbers, the reaction in the Glasgow conference hall, and the blunt reality behind the headlines. Government pledges may change the landscape, but they will not protect your business unless you act. The episode also examines the government’s voluntary Cyber Resilience Pledge and why it matters. The most important part may be the supply chain effect. Large organisations that sign the pledge could start expecting their suppliers to hold Cyber Essentials certification. That may make Cyber Essentials a practical requirement for winning and keeping business, even if it is not yet written into law. The team also explains why the £90 million funding commitment matters, but why small firms should not expect a sudden cash windfall. The immediate pressure will come from reputation, procurement, and customer expectations, not regulation. There is also a reality check on AI. Powerful new models can now find deep, old vulnerabilities in hours. That gives attackers more speed and scale. But for most small businesses, the answer is not a six figure AI security platform. It is getting the basics right, faster. Patch properly. Check whether your IT provider is ready for machine speed attacks. Start Cyber Essentials. Review AI use inside your business. Sign up to NCSC Early Warning. By the end of the episode, you will have five practical, low cost actions you can take this week to move from passive hope to active defence. If your business relies on larger customers, this episode gives you the timeline, the threat picture, and the checklist you need before the next procurement email lands.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related