When Anthropic unveiled Claude Mythos in April, the reaction across the cybersecurity industry was immediate. Boards demanded answers, tech leaders called urgent meetings, and a familiar narrative began to take hold: AI is changing the rules of cybersecurity.

But while this is partly true, it misses the real point. AI hasn’t changed the rules. It has simply sped up the game and exposed that the rules were already broken.

For years, cybersecurity operated on a relatively stable assumption. If attackers discovered a vulnerability, it would take time to exploit it, and defenders would have a window to respond. That window was never perfect, but it made the system workable.

That time is now gone. In 2018, the average time between discovering a vulnerability and exploiting it was measured in years. Today, it is measured in hours, so this isn’t a gradual shift, it’s a fundamental change in how cyber risk behaves.

What tools like Mythos show is not a leap in technical capability, but a breakthrough in execution. Vulnerabilities that have existed for decades can now be found and exploited almost instantly. The bottleneck is no longer discovery. It is deciding what to fix and doing it fast enough.

So, this is where the real challenge begins.

On the defensive side, organisations are increasingly overwhelmed. AI systems can surface huge volumes of vulnerabilities, but they are far less effective at identifying which ones are actually exploitable. Security teams are left with growing backlogs, trying to prioritise risk while the cost of delay continues to rise.

Attackers, meanwhile, face a much simpler problem. They do not need to fix anything. They only need one viable path. AI gives them the ability to test multiple options and select the most effective route at machine speed.

This imbalance sits at the heart of the issue.

It is also being reinforced by a deeper structural problem. Many organisations still manage cybersecurity as if time is on their side. Annual penetration tests, slow patch cycles and retrospective reporting are all built on the assumption that vulnerabilities can be addressed before they are exploited.

That assumption no longer holds, especially as at the same time, the attack surface continues to expand. Every new integration, cloud service or legacy system creates another potential entry point. In many cases, the greatest risks do not come from well-tested core systems, but from overlooked suppliers or outdated components that no one wants to touch.

This is why the Mythos moment is about more than software flaws. It is about digital exposure. Most organisations do not fully understand what is exposed or how it could be exploited.

Therefore, the response cannot be to simply do more of the same, and this isn’t a problem that simply hiring more analyst can solve. The scale and speed of modern threats have already outgrown what humans can handle alone.

What is needed is a shift in approach, from reacting to incidents to continuously validating risk.

That shift depends on three things: visibility, validation and speed. Organisations need to understand what is exposed, prove what is actually exploitable, and act before attackers do.

But even that is not enough on its own.

We are now entering a phase where cybersecurity becomes an AI versus AI problem. Attackers are already using automated systems to scan, test and exploit vulnerabilities at scale. Defenders will have to respond in kind, using AI to continuously probe their own systems, simulate attacks and prioritise real risk.

The difference will come down to how effectively that technology is directed. AI can generate possibilities at scale. It can surface thousands of potential weaknesses. But it still lacks context. It cannot reliably decide what matters most, or what a real attacker would do next, and that responsibility still sits with humans.

Which means the real battleground in cybersecurity is shifting. It is no longer about who can find vulnerabilities first. It is about who can make better decisions, faster.

AI will continue to uncover weaknesses. That is inevitable. The question is who can turn that information into action before it is exploited.

Because cybersecurity is no longer just a technical challenge, it is a race, and right now, most organisations are running behind.

The Midcounties Co-Operative in Dorchester, near Wallingford, has been a much-valued food shop in the High Street of the village.

But the company has confirmed it will be closing the store and selling the building in the near future, after it became ‘financially unsustainable’ to continue trading.

READ MORE: Oxford drug dealer caught with more than £17k in cash jailed

No other store location could be found and the village is going to be left without a supermarket.

A spokesperson for Midcounties Co-Operative said: “As a Co-operative Society owned by our members, we regularly review our estate to ensure our stores are profitable and provide an essential purpose within the communities they serve.

The Midcounties Co-Operative in Dorchester High Street will close (Image: Google)

“As part of this process, and after careful consideration, the society has made the difficult decision to close our Dorchester-on-Thames store.

“Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of all of our colleagues, the store has been financially unsustainable for some time and there is no viable opportunity to improve the financial position of the store.

“We have also explored other options in the local area to potentially relocate but regrettably have been unable to secure any other suitable location on this occasion.

“Our first priority is to offer our support to all colleagues during what we recognise will be a difficult time.

READ MORE: Abingdon woman ‘shocked’ after cat killed by neighbour’s dog

“We have now entered a formal consultation period with those colleagues affected and, where possible, will look to identify suitable alternative roles within our wider society.

 “At this time, the store remains open for trading as usual and we will keep colleagues and the wider community informed about potential timelines for the closure.

“We look forward to continuing to welcome our members and customers at our food stores across the region, including our Berinsfield food store, just over one mile away.” 

The Midcounties Co-operative in Dorchester High Street will close (Image: Google)

A statement from Dorchester Parish Council made shortly after the announcement said: “This clearly raises a number of questions for us as a community, which values its shop.

“In response to this news, we can let you know that the parish council is already discussing behind the scenes with parties’ ways of keeping a store on site but at this stage it is not possible to share more details on this.”

The council said one option is registering the shop as an asset of community value, which will be discussed at the next parish council meeting, and further information will be shared when possible.

READ MORE: Closed UK private school sells off minibuses and equipment

Freddie van Mierlo, MP for Henley and Thame (Lib Dem) said he’s asked Co-op about the closure (Image: Freddie van Mierlo)

Freddie van Mierlo, MP for Henley and Thame (Liberal Democrat), said: “I’ve written to the co-op to ask why they plan to close this vital shop for the community.

“Residents have shared with me their concerns who are worried about the impact this will have on the village.”

No closure date for the shop has yet been announced.

Little Soap Company, based in Worcestershire, has been honoured with a 2026 King’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development.

Just 185 organisations have been recognised nationally this year, making it one of the most coveted accolades in British business.

The award recognises the company’s outstanding and whole-business commitment to sustainable development.

READ MORE: Two major UK restaurant chains set to close with 3,800 jobs lost

King Charles III. (Image: PA)

This is a principle that has guided founder Emma Heathcote-James, who began hand-crafting soaps in her Cotswold cottage in 2008.

Emma’s founding ambition was to make pure, natural soap, free from synthetic ingredients, hidden chemicals and plastic excess, genuinely accessible to everyday consumers, at everyday prices.

At a time when organic and natural soap simply wasn’t available on supermarket shelves, Little Soap Company became the first organic soap to reach mainstream UK retail, setting a new category standard.

“As a British business supporting UK manufacturing, jobs and communities, receiving a King’s Award for Enterprise is a real honour, especially following our Queen’s Award for Innovation in 2022,” said Emma.

READ MORE: Riverside pub back from the dead years after closing

Emma Heathcote-James, founder of Little Soap Company​. (Image: Little Soap Company​)

“We are incredibly proud of our team; their dedication and passion have taken my idea from a kitchen table start-up to a nationally recognised brand leading the way in sustainable soap, proving that sustainability doesn’t have to mean compromising on quality and can be accessible for every budget.

“Sustainability isn’t just about the products, but the team too. It’s embedded in how we work, how we hire, and how we make decisions every day.

“This award shows that a small UK business can drive large-scale environmental change through everyday products.

“Our mission doesn’t stop here. This award strengthens our commitment to educating consumers and driving positive change across the whole industry.”

READ MORE: Cotswolds hotel stay worth over £700 ‘ruined by rowdy hen party’

Little Soap Company​ products. (Image: Little Soap Company​)

Today, the company’s ranges, Organics, Naturals, Eco Warrior and Little Beast, are stocked by Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Boots and all the online giants. Little Soap Company is now a multi-million-pound UK business, selling one bar every 30 seconds, demonstrating that sustainability can drive commercial growth.

Every product the company manufactures is plant-based, vegan certified, cruelty-free and made in Britain.

Packaging across the range is 100 per cent recycled and recyclable, using FSC-certified cardboard and 100 per cent post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic where bottles are used.

Fragrance comes exclusively from pure essential oils, with no synthetic additives, and Little Soap Company is also removing plastic from bathrooms.

READ MORE: Former King Charles employee reveals ‘demands’ at Cotswolds house

Emma Heathcote-James, founder of Little Soap Company​. (Image: Little Soap Company​)

The company’s Eco Warrior range alone has avoided over 22.5 million plastic bottles to date from the supply chain, and saved more than 20 million litres of water in consumer use.

Each soap bar lasts up to six times longer than a liquid equivalent and can replace four to five plastic bottles.

The company’s liquid soap ranges, which represent just three per cent of its product portfolio, are made exclusively with Prevented Ocean Plastic certified bottles and are positioned as a transition product to gradually encourage consumers to switch to bars.

A 2030 Zero-Plastic plan is in place to eliminate plastic from the supply chain entirely.