What is AI security for SMBs and why does it matter in 2026?

AI security for SMBs refers to cybersecurity measures protecting small and medium-sized businesses (10-500 employees) from threats that exploit or are powered by artificial intelligence. This includes slopsquatting attacks where AI tools recommend non-existent software packages (19.7% of AI recommendations), AI-powered phishing with 98% accurate voice cloning, and automated malware that adapts in real-time.

AI security for SMBs matters because 83% of SMBs report AI has increased their threat level, yet 47% have no cybersecurity budget—creating a dangerous gap. Unlike traditional cybersecurity, AI security for SMBs requires governance policies for employee AI tool usage, dependency scanning to catch hallucinated packages, and vendor risk assessments to ensure third parties validate AI-generated code before production deployment.