Survey: Only 30 percent of Slovak Companies Afraid of Cyber-attacks

Bratislava, 17 October (TASR) - Only 30 percent of organisations in Slovakia are concerned that a cyber-attack could take place within the next 12 months, TASR reported earlier this week based on a survey conducted by security software company ESET on the subject 'The Security of Slovak Companies in the Era of Artificial Intelligence (AI)', which was presented at ESET Security Days 2026. Small and medium-sized Slovak enterprises find themselves in a specific situation regarding cyber-security, as they have to tackle a lack of financial resources and qualified specialists. "Today, cyber-security in companies is fundamentally affected by AI. The introduction of AI tools and agents into corporate processes brings entirely new risks. At the same time, AI catalyses threats that already exist, making phishing more convincing, with vulnerability detection becoming automated and the spread of malicious code getting faster. Companies face increasingly complex security requirements, while there's a shortage of experts to manage protection," stated Michal Jankech, vice-president of Enterprise and SMB/MSP segments at ESET. Almost a quarter of Slovak companies (24 percent) said that they've experienced a security incident in the past year, compared with as many as 45 percent globally. Phishing campaigns remain the most common cause of security breaches in Slovakia, accounting for 28 percent, followed by weak passwords, outdated systems and lost or stolen unprotected devices. Budget constraints are a significant problem in Slovakia, with 54 percent of companies identifying them as the main obstacle to improving security, more than twice the global average. Artificial intelligence also poses a particular challenge, as 59 percent of Slovak businesses use AI applications in their work processes, but only 21 percent of them have an internal policy in place to regulate so-called shadow AI [the use of AI tools without the approval of an organisation's IT team - ed. note], thus creating the risk of sensitive corporate data being leaked. Slovak companies also tend to rely heavily on external partners, with 21 percent outsourcing this role entirely and 36 percent combining internal and external resources. Only 12 percent have an in-house specialist. On the upside, however, none of the companies in the survey was planning to cut its cyber-security budget, while more than a fifth expect an increase in funds, in particular when it comes to employee training and data back-ups. jrg/df/mf