Cybersecurity is considered one of the top strategic priorities for small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) worldwide, but many organizations remain exposed to attacks despite rising investment, according to new research commissioned by Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR and payroll technology for SMBs.
The study, conducted by IDC and titled SMBs in the Age of AI: Navigating cyber complexity and building resilience, based on a global survey of 2,210 SMBs, found that over half (52%) rank cybersecurity and data protection among their top business priorities for the next 12 months, second only to growth (59%) and well ahead of scaling AI adoption (33%). Six in ten SMBs (60%) also expect to increase cybersecurity spending over the same period.
Despite this momentum, many SMBs remain vulnerable to cyber-attacks, with one in two experiencing an incident or data breach in the last year. This highlights a resilience gap between SMBs prioritizing cybersecurity and the realities of how effectively it is embedded in day-to-day operations.
The findings point to three gaps holding SMBs back:
- Security is prioritized but not embedded day-to-day: Only 13% of micro businesses and 21% of small businesses describe their cybersecurity approach as proactive, compared with 48% of medium sized organizations, leaving smaller firms more vulnerable to disruption.
- Tools are in place but not consistently applied: Most SMBs report using baseline protections such as email security (79%), endpoint protection (67%) and regular patching and data backup (71%). Yet far fewer carry out staff training and phishing simulations (50%), train employees consistently or test incident response plans (36%), limiting the real world effectiveness of these investments when incidents occur.
- Third party and SaaS risk is expanding faster than oversight: As SaaS platforms become central to operations, security monitoring often remains infrequent. Among micro businesses, 43% do not conduct regular or continuous monitoring of third-party vendors, creating blind spots across increasingly complex digital ecosystems.
AI accelerates pressure on already stretched security
AI adoption is intensifying cybersecurity pressure for SMBs, with readiness lagging behind risk. Eight in ten (81%) of SMBs are not prepared or remain in the early stages of preparedness for AI-related threats, while nearly a quarter (22%) have yet to implement dedicated protections for AI applications.
The gap is even more pronounced among smaller firms. Among micro businesses, 84% say they are either unprepared or only at an early stage of readiness, with many lacking specific safeguards as AI use grows.
The gaps are pronounced by business size too. The research found that 63% of medium-sized businesses see AI as a business opportunity, but only 23% of small businesses and 9% of micro businesses agree.
For SMB customers, Sage is focused on making cybersecurity more accessible by embedding security into the design of everyday software from the outset, backed by continuous testing, secure coding practices aligned to OWASP standards, and ongoing security training for engineers. Sage also works with industry bodies, partners and government initiatives, including the UK Government’s Software Security Ambassadors Scheme, to support practical, accessible cybersecurity approaches that strengthen resilience across the wider SMB ecosystem.
Methodology
IDC conducted a custom survey of 2,210 SMBs across eight geographies: Canada (300), France (330), Germany (330), Portugal (100), South Africa (150), Spain (200), United Kingdom (300), and United States (500).
Software Security Ambassadors Scheme
Sage is a participant in the UK Government’s Software Security Ambassadors Scheme, led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The initiative brings together industry leaders to champion the adoption of the Software Security Code of Practice, helping to strengthen software supply chain security and improve cyber resilience across the UK economy.
As part of the scheme, Sage works alongside government and industry partners to promote secure-by-design principles, share best practice, and support the development of practical, accessible approaches to cyber security for businesses of all sizes.
Learn more about the Software Security Ambassadors Scheme here.
Learn more about Trust and Security with Sage here.
Sage Intacct expands trusted automation across core finance workflows
Posted in Commentary with tags Sage on May 28, 2026 by itnerdSage today announced new and enhanced capabilities in Sage Intacct designed to help finance teams accelerate operations, strengthen control and extend AI capabilities across finance operations.
The latest updates expand automation across receivables, accounts payable, purchasing and SaaS analytics, while introducing new ways for customers and partners to extend AI capabilities through Sage Intacct AI Gateway. Together, the updates help finance teams reduce manual work, improve visibility and move faster with greater confidence by embedding trusted AI and automation directly into day-to-day finance workflows with the transparency, control and accountability finance teams require.
As finance teams face growing pressure to improve cash flow, accelerate decision-making and operate with greater agility, many still rely on disconnected systems and manual processes that slow execution and limit visibility. Gartner research found that 88% of CFOs rank finance staff productivity among their top priorities in 2026, reflecting growing pressure to automate workflows, shorten cycles and control costs. Sage Intacct’s latest updates are designed to support this shift by embedding trusted automation across receivables, payables, purchasing and finance analytics workflows.
Advancing high-performance finance through automation, control and AI extensibility
The latest update expands customizable workflow automation across receivables and purchasing, with AI-powered enhancements in accounts payables and SaaS analytics, helping finance teams reduce manual effort and improve visibility across day-to-day operations.
The release also introduces new ways for customers and partners to extend the value of Sage Intacct by using the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard for bridging AI solutions with business systems, to securely connect financial data to AI tools. This helps organizations adapt workflows more easily while maintaining defined permissions, approvals and operational controls.
What’s new in Sage Intacct May 2026:
Cash Intelligence: Payment Reminders
Helping accounts receivable and finance teams manage customer follow-ups, Payments Reminders proactively surfaces customers with open or overdue invoices in a single view. Teams can send one-click or bulk payment reminder emails using a default template, helping create more consistent outreach and reduce manual follow-up.
Available through an Early Adopter program globally.
AP Automation: 3-Way Matching
Reducing manual reconciliation and helping preserve oversight and control, 3-Way Matching uses AI-driven automation to link invoices, purchase orders and receipts, compare prices, quantities and totals, and flag line-level discrepancies for review before payment.
Generally available globally.
Custom Approvals in Purchasing
Helping organizations manage purchasing approvals more flexibly, Custom Approvals in Purchasing enables teams to define multi-condition approval rules using transaction fields such as vendor, amount, department, location and category. This helps route transactions to the right approver and align controls with operational workflows.
Available through an Early Adopter program globally.
Sage Intacct AI Gateway
Helping customers and partners extend trusted AI across finance workflows, Sage Intacct AI Gateway enables tailored AI solutions to connect directly with Sage Intacct using REST APIs and using the Model Context Protocol (MCP) standard. This allows Sage Intacct data to be combined with external applications and AI services while operating within defined roles, permissions and workflow controls.
Generally available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and South Africa.
SaaS Intelligence 2.0
Helping SaaS finance leaders gain deeper visibility into revenue performance, SaaS Intelligence 2.0 delivers enhanced AI-powered insights across forecasting, cohort analysis, customer segmentation and Annual Recurring Revenue and Monthly Recurring Revenue tracking. Interactive dashboards help organizations identify churn, retention and expansion trends more easily.
Available through an Early Adopter program in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and South Africa.
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