Episode 1: Why UK Businesses Are Being Targeted by Cyber Attacks

Think your business is secure? Most UK SMBs do. But if you had to prove it, could you? Before you invest in another product, the real question is: do you actually understand where your risks are? In this episode, we unpack why the UK has become one of the most targeted countries for cyber attacks, and why small and mid-sized businesses are no longer flying under the radar. Lynn sits down with Mark O’Dell, Director of Secure Cloud and AI at Babble, to break down what’s really changed in cyber security, and why many businesses are being caught out, not because they’re doing nothing, but because their approach hasn’t kept up. This isn’t about fear. It’s about visibility. Because cyber risk doesn’t usually come from what you know. It comes from what you can’t see. What you’ll learn in this episode: • Why the UK is such a high-value target for cyber criminals • Why “we’re too small to matter” is a dangerous assumption • How AI is making cyber attacks faster, cheaper, and harder to detect • The shift from perimeter security to identity, devices, and human risk • Where most SMBs are exposed (and don’t realise it) Most businesses don’t lack tools. They lack a clear, joined-up view of their security. And that’s where problems start. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:52 Meet Mark O’Dell 02:09 Why the UK is a prime cyber target 04:09 The “too small to matter” myth 12:35 How the threat landscape has shifted 18:24 Business impact and reputational damage 23:42 Final advice for SMBs 25:31 Conclusion