Fighting off cyber attacks and operationalising AI: alarm bells for architects, consultants and engineers

Deltek’s Clarity Report is a wide-ranging, deep dive into the concerns and priorities among senior management of architecture practices, engineering firms and consultancies. More than half of the 375 respondents were from the UK. Those in architecture and in consultancies accounted for nearly three-quarters of respondents and nearly two-thirds were from businesses with more than 250 employees.

Cybersecurity is now the leading technology concern, with two-thirds of respondents saying they have been targeted by a cyber attack in the past three years, and 52% extremely or very concerned about cyber risks for 2026.

“Financial and client losses following attacks are pushing organisations to elevate cybersecurity investment and governance, positioning it as a core element of operational resilience and profitability protection,” Deltek said. Nearly half of respondents affected by a cyber attack experienced financial losses, while more than a third each experienced customer losses and operational impacts.

Among the UK respondents, cybersecurity risks ranked as the most frequently cited challenge alongside inflation, noted by 64%. That compares with the disruption caused by integrating AI into day-to-day operations being the lowest-ranked challenge, cited by 43%. Being unable to automate processes that need it and not progressing digital transformation as fast as competitors were both cited by 49% of UK respondents.

AI is a priority, with 91% of respondents saying it is important to their organisation’s success, and 68% planning to increase AI investment in 2026. “The shift is no longer about experimenting with AI, but embedding and optimising it across processes such as planning, forecasting and project resourcing to drive measurable productivity and profitability gains,” Deltek said.