AI Cyberattacks Push Companies Into a Race to Strengthen Defences

Companies are racing to strengthen their cybersecurity defences as artificial intelligence (AI) makes it easier for hackers to find weaknesses and launch attacks, while putting growing pressure on security teams to respond faster. 

A Reuters report published on 5 November 2026 reveals how businesses across Europe and beyond are dealing with a rise in cyber threats, from attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems to serious vulnerabilities in widely used web software. The growing workload is also pushing companies to invest in AI-powered security tools to help them detect threats, fix vulnerabilities and recover from attacks. 

The concern is that attackers may be able to exploit security weaknesses faster than organisations can fix them. And with recent incidents already causing major financial losses and business disruption, companies are changing how they manage cybersecurity.

Cyber Threats Are Growing Faster Than Companies Can Respond

The number of publicly reported software vulnerabilities has risen sharply, adding to the pressure on businesses to keep their systems secure. According to figures cited by Reuters from the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) registry, nearly 37,000 security flaws were disclosed during the third quarter of 2026.

Which is around three times the number reported during the same period last year. These vulnerabilities are weaknesses in software or computer systems that attackers may be able to exploit. Not every reported flaw leads to an attack, but each new disclosure can create additional work for security teams that need to determine whether their organisation is affected and install the necessary fixes. 

Markus Noga, chief technology officer at German web hosting company Ionos, told Reuters that serious security incidents are now occurring far more frequently than before. Events that previously happened months apart are appearing every week, and sometimes within days of each other. 

Ionos, which serves seven million customers, has already changed how it handles security threats. Following a rise in reported vulnerabilities in July, the company introduced AI-based monitoring systems and automated tools to help install security patches around the clock. "I'm kind of limited to what a nine-to-five office hours team can do and that's no longer good enough," Noga told Reuters.

Recent Cyberattacks Show the Cost of Security Failures

The pressure on businesses has become particularly clear following a series of attacks on European supermarkets. On 2 November, hackers targeted refrigeration systems across several countries, raising the temperatures inside fridges and freezers and forcing retailers to throw away spoiled food. 

It was the second wave of similar attacks in just three weeks, following incidents at French supermarkets in October. Together, the attacks have reportedly caused millions of dollars in losses and disrupted retail operations. Cybersecurity researchers had already identified weaknesses in commercial refrigeration controllers before the attacks began.

Claroty published research in August detailing vulnerabilities in these systems, including flaws that could allow attackers to gain control of refrigeration equipment. Following the first attacks in October, Claroty researchers used publicly available AI tools to reproduce the weaknesses and take control of a test device. 

Sean Tufts, the company's field chief technology officer, told Reuters that the demonstration took just 28 minutes and cost $6. The findings demonstrate how quickly AI tools can help researchers reproduce known security weaknesses. However, they don't establish whether the hackers responsible for the supermarket incidents used AI themselves. 

Other companies have suffered substantial losses from recent cyber incidents. Dutch supermarket group Ahold Delhaize reported more than €200 million in lost sales following an October attack that forced it to take websites and applications offline for a week. 

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance also reported a $6.3 billion theft after attackers compromised an employee's computer through a fake job interview.

AI-Discovered Vulnerabilities Put Pressure on Security Teams

The growing use of AI to identify software vulnerabilities is also changing how quickly companies need to respond when new security flaws become public. On 21 October, the disclosure of two AI-discovered vulnerabilities in PHP, a programming language used by many websites, prompted emergency security responses across several countries. 

Governments and businesses temporarily took websites offline while installing patches to protect their systems. Cloudflare reported that attempts to exploit PHP vulnerabilities increased from thousands to millions within hours of the disclosure. 

The rapid increase highlighted how little time organisations may have to secure affected systems once information about a serious vulnerability becomes available. Swiss building materials company Holcim was among the businesses that took immediate action. The company temporarily shut down its website on the evening of 21 October to install the necessary security fixes, restoring service before midnight. 

The incident also showed how AI-assisted vulnerability discovery could create new challenges for companies that already struggle to keep up with security updates. Finding weaknesses more quickly can help defenders, but publicly disclosed flaws may also give attackers new opportunities.

Companies Turn to AI to Strengthen Cybersecurity Defences

Businesses are responding by investing in the same technology that is changing the threat environment. According to Reuters, companies including Booking.com, Siemens and the Port of Rotterdam are developing or testing AI-powered security systems to improve threat detection and response. 

Booking.com chief security officer Marnie Wilking described cybersecurity as a constant battle between attackers and defenders, with hackers finding new ways into systems even as companies work to close existing weaknesses. "It's a never-ending game of cat and mouse, with very high stakes," Wilking told Reuters. 

Hundreds of engineers at Booking.com are now working on AI-powered defensive systems. Meanwhile, Siemens is testing advanced AI models for security applications, and the Port of Rotterdam is developing an AI-powered cyber shield. Ahold Delhaize is also using AI to improve how quickly it detects and recovers from security incidents. 

Chief financial officer Jolanda Poots-Bijl told Reuters that the technology is helping the company respond faster than it could previously. The growing investment is reflected in wider cybersecurity spending forecasts. 

McKinsey expects the global market for cybersecurity products and services sold by external vendors to increase from $223 billion in 2025 to $346 billion by 2029, according to figures reported by Reuters. For companies dealing with the latest wave of attacks, however, the immediate challenge remains keeping their systems protected as new vulnerabilities emerge. 

"We need to get smarter. Both sides are heavily equipped," Holcim chief financial officer Steffen Kindler told Reuters. "Both sides use AI, and that race is continuing."