Cybersecurity Overtakes AI as Top Priority for UK Project-Based Firms, Deltek Research Finds
2026 Clarity Report shows 70% of UK architecture, engineering and consulting firms have been targeted by a cyber-attack in the past three years
Improving cybersecurity has become the leading priority for UK architecture, engineering and consulting firms, according to Deltek’s 2026 Clarity Report. The findings were released to coincide with Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
Some 30% of UK firms ranked improving cybersecurity as a top priority, narrowly ahead of operationalising and optimising AI (29%) and investing in or implementing new technologies (25%).
Attacks are widespread and costly
Seven in ten UK firms (70%) reported being targeted by a cyber-attack in the past three years, and 64% said they are extremely or very concerned about cybersecurity risks in 2026. Among UK firms that were attacked, half (50%) suffered financial losses.
Experience of an attack shapes priorities. Firms that have been attacked were more likely to place cybersecurity first than those that have not (29% compared with 17%).
Common attack types
The most frequently reported incidents among UK firms were:
- Customer or client data breaches (28%)
- Ransomware or malware on internal systems (28%)
- Intellectual-property breaches (27%)
- Fraud or theft, such as invoice scams (23%)
- Ransomware or malware affecting external client services (20%)
The impact extends beyond financial loss. Across all markets surveyed, 31% of organisations that suffered a successful attack reported reputational damage.
A board-level issue
Becca Harness, Chief Information Security Officer at Deltek, said cybersecurity has rightly moved from being an IT concern to a board-level business issue, because a single vulnerable entry point can be enough for criminals to gain access. [Insert approved direct quote.]
The results suggest that project-based firms, which handle sensitive client data, intellectual property and financial transactions, are weighing security alongside their investment in AI and new technology rather than behind it.