If you run a small or medium business in Greater Manchester, you might assume cybercriminals are only interested in large corporations with deep pockets. The latest Q3 2026 figures say otherwise. UK businesses faced record cyberattack attempts between July and September, with an average of 203,585 detected attacks per monitored business, a 7.0% increase on the same period in 2025. Broken down, that's roughly 2,213 attack attempts hitting every business, every single day. For SMB owners already stretched thin managing staff, customers and cash flow, this is not a statistic to file away and forget. It's a direct signal that preparedness is no longer optional.
Why the numbers matter for SMBs
It's tempting to think these figures apply mainly to banks, government bodies or household-name retailers. In reality, attackers don't discriminate by company size, they use automated tools that probe thousands of businesses at once looking for the easiest way in. Smaller businesses are frequently targeted precisely because they tend to have fewer defences in place. If your business is online in any capacity, and almost every business is, you should expect to be targeted regularly, not occasionally.
The increase from 2025 to 2026 also matters. A 7% rise in a single year shows this isn't a plateau, it's an upward trend. Whatever defences were "good enough" twelve months ago are facing a measurably higher volume of attempts today.
Where the attacks are landing
The data points to two areas that are especially relevant to SMBs in Greater Manchester.
Remote control services: the top target
Remote control services are now the single most targeted area, averaging 193 attacks per day per business. This category covers networked security cameras, building control systems and the growing range of IoT devices many businesses now rely on for premises management. If your business uses remote access to manage cameras, heating, alarms or any connected equipment, that infrastructure is actively being probed. Many of these devices were never designed with strong security in mind, and default settings or weak passwords make them an easy entry point.
Web services: a close second
Customer portals, company websites and browser-based interfaces are the second most targeted area. Any business with an online presence that customers log into, submit forms through, or interact with directly is exposed here. Outdated software, unpatched plugins and weak authentication are the usual weaknesses attackers exploit.
What SMBs should do now
These figures don't mean you need to panic, but they do mean a reactive approach to cybersecurity is no longer sustainable. A few practical steps go a long way:
- Audit every piece of remote access equipment, cameras, building controls, IoT devices, and ensure default credentials have been changed and firmware is up to date.
- Apply multi-factor authentication to any customer portal or web-based login, not just internal systems.
- Keep website software, plugins and content management systems patched on a regular schedule rather than waiting for something to break.
- Monitor network traffic for unusual activity so attempted intrusions are caught early rather than discovered after the fact.
- Review who has remote access privileges and remove anything that's no longer needed.
None of these steps require an enterprise budget, but they do require someone to actually own the process and check it regularly.
Making preparedness practical
The hardest part for most SMBs isn't understanding the risk, it's finding the time and expertise to act on it while running the rest of the business. This is exactly where managed cybersecurity support earns its keep. Instead of hoping your defences hold up against nearly 2,000 daily attack attempts, a managed approach means someone is actively watching your remote access points, patching your web-facing systems, and responding the moment something looks wrong.
Cyber Security Awareness Month is a good prompt to ask a hard question: if your business faced its share of 203,585 attack attempts this quarter, would your current setup hold? Valetech Solutions helps Greater Manchester businesses secure remote access infrastructure, web services and the wider network against exactly this kind of pressure. Get in touch with Valetech Solutions to review your defences before the next quarter's figures come in higher still.