Business & Technology
Cybersecurity has a speed problem
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.
If you have ordered something that is being sent through Royal Mail, it might be arriving a little later than usual.
Royal Mail deliveries are currently facing delays in areas including Bedford, Deal, Huntingdon, and Llangefni.
Here are all of the postcodes across England and Wales that are currently experiencing delays.
What postcodes are experiencing Royal Mail delays?
Royal Mail posts its service updates to keep its customers aware of any issues happening at its local offices.
The delivery company said: “We aim to deliver to all addresses we have mail for, six days a week.
“In a small number of local offices, this may temporarily not be possible due to local issues such as high levels of sick absence, resourcing, or other local factors.
“In those cases, we will rotate deliveries to minimise the delay to individual customers.
“We also provide targeted support to those offices to address their challenges and restore our service to the high standard our customers would normally receive.”
The full list of postcodes affected:
- Barry DO (CF63)
- Bedford MK40 DO (MK40-MK45)
- Blyth DO (NE24)
- Brierley Hill DO (DY5)
- Burslem DO (ST6)
- Calderway DO (WF12-WF14)
- Carmarthen DO (SA17, SA31, SA32, SA33)
- Chester DO (CH1-CH4, CH88, CH99)
- Chorlton DO (M21)
- Deal DO (CT14)
- Dudley DO (DY1-DY3)
- Ebbw Vale DO (NP23)
- Failsworth SUDO (M35)
- Gosforth DO (NE3, NE13)
- Great Glen SPDO (LE8)
- Heswall DO (CH31, CH60, CH61)
- Huntingdon DO (PE26-PE29)
- Ilfracombe DO (EX34)
- Inverclyde DO (PA14-PA19)
- Llangefni DO (LL62-LL78)
- Lutterworth DO (LE9, LE17)
- Margate DO (CT7-CT9)
- Milton Keynes Kiln Farm DO (MK8, MK11-MK14, MK19)
- Mold DO (CH7)
- Mumbles DO (SA3)
- New Ferry DO (CH32, CH62, CH63)
- Newton Le Willows DO (WA3, WA12)
- Pontefract DO (WF7-WF9, WF11)
- Rugby DO (CV21-CV23)
- Rugeley DO (WS15)
- Shrewsbury DO (SY1-SY5)
- Sidmouth DO (EX10)
- Southam DO (CV47)
- Wallingford DO (OX10, OX49)
- Wednesbury DO (WS10)
- West Park DO (PL5)
- Wolverhampton NE DO (WV11, WV12)
- Woolton DO (L25-L27)
Royal Mail apologised for any inconvenience caused by the delays and will be regularly updating its customers on the areas that are most impacted.
Despite the delays, Royal Mail has said its road and air network services have operated to schedule over the last 24 hours.
If you have a parcel that needs to be collected from a Customer Service Point, you will be left a “Something for you” card.
Have you had any issues with Royal Mail parcels recently? Let us know in the comments.
Whitbread is closing all 105 Beefeater and 89 Brewers Fayre sites in the coming weeks, with final closure dates set for early September.
The mass closures are part of a major restructuring plan and strategy change.
Customers are now being reminded to redeem accrued points to avoid losing them.
Warning to Beefeater and Brewers Fayre customers over loyalty points
A fresh email warning them to use remaining rewards as the sites prepare to close has been sent.
One from Beefeater reads: “We want to say a huge thank you for your custom at our Beefeater restaurants.
“As you may have seen, we have recently announced changes to your business, which is resulting in the closure of our Branded Restaurants.”
The email explains that the Beefeater Reward Club and other loyalty schemes, Bonus Club and Tasty Rewards, will close on Monday, August 31.
Points or receipt information must be entered into the loyalty scheme by Monday, August 24, and points must be converted to vouchers and redeemed by August 31.
All unredeemed points will expire and be wiped from the system at 7am on September 1.
Brewers Fayre has similar rewards with its loyalty scheme ending at the same time.
Why are Beefeater and Brewers Fayre closing?
The closures follow Whitbread’s announcement in April of a full shutdown of its Beefeater and Brewers Fayre sites.
The company is shifting its strategy to focus on expanding its Premier Inn hotel business.
Dominic Paul, chief executive of Whitbread, said previously: “We always challenge ourselves to improve and, in light of significant cost increases in the form of business rates and national insurance, as well as the implied market discount to our inherent value, we’ve looked hard at the options open to us to maximise value creation over the medium and long-term.
“This has been a rigorous process and we’ve approached all options with an open mind.
“Our new five-year plan builds on our strengths and drives a significant acceleration of our strategy.
“This plan will transform Whitbread into a higher-margin, higher-returning pure-play hotel business.
“We’re going to go further and faster to deliver a great experience for our guests and high-quality growth and returns for our shareholders.”
As part of the transition, nearly 3,800 jobs are at risk.
Whitbread has indicated that while some employees may be redeployed within the company, significant redundancies are likely.
The closures are part of a broader plan to convert restaurant sites into additional Premier Inn rooms.
The company also intends to sell around £1.5 billion worth of freehold property to support its expansion.
Currently, Whitbread operates around 86,600 hotel rooms and plans to grow this to 96,000 by the 2031 financial year.
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Brewers Fayre will close its remaining restaurants on September 7.
Beefeater will shut its final sites three days later, on September 10.
Whitbread has said it regrets the impact on staff and is working to support those affected during the transition.
Will you be sad to see your local Beefeater and Brewers Fayre sites close? Let us know in the comments.
Torsion Construction Limited, based in Leeds and founded in 2015, specialised in residential and living sector developments and employed 115 people.
The firm had delivered £287 million worth of projects across the UK, including in major cities such as York, Birmingham, Manchester, and Newcastle.
PROJECT UPDATE: Lancaster Wharf, Birmingham
Our 23-story, 266-apartment development. Façade work underway and internal fit-out advancing rapidly, we’re on track for a winter 2025 handover. Exciting times ahead for the city’s skyline! #birmingham #construction #Propertydevelopmet pic.twitter.com/fEwbEFiKZs— Torsion Group (@TorsionGroup) August 22, 2024
At the time of its collapse, a further £303 million worth of work was still under construction, according to the Torsion Construction website.
Torsion Construction ceases trading after falling into administration
After more than 11 years in business, Torsion Construction has ceased trading, having fallen into administration.
James Clark and Howard Smith of Interpath were appointed joint administrators on July 29.
Like many firms in the construction sector, Torsion had been under liquidity pressures linked to delayed capital events, contract margin pressure, and rising input costs.
A broader downturn in the market compounded the company’s financial difficulties, Interpath explained.
Mr Clark, managing director at Interpath and joint administrator of Torsion Construction, said: “Torsion Construction has faced many of the immense challenges that have confronted leadership teams right across the sector.
“Despite its efforts to find a sustainable solution and protect its clients from those pressures, the business’ liquidity ran out of road.
“With regret, Torsion Construction could not continue in its current form and was left with no other option but to cease trading.
“We have a team providing the appropriate information and support to staff as we work through an orderly wind down of operations.”
The business ceased trading upon entering administration, with the majority of staff made redundant.
A small number of employees have been retained to support the administrators during the winding-down process.
Other UK companies that have closed or entered administration/liquidation in 2026
It has been a tough year for the UK high street, with several other retailers entering administration or liquidation and others announcing widespread store closures.
Major high street brands LK Bennett, Claire’s, and Quiz have been forced to close all their remaining stores after falling into administration.
UK fashion retailer Leading Labels is also set to close its remaining 15 stores after falling into liquidation.
Whitbread recently confirmed it will be closing all its UK restaurants in September:
- Brewers Fayre (89 locations) – September 7
- Beefeater (106) – September 10
- Bar + Block – September 3
- Table Table – September 3
- Cookhouse + Pub – September 3
TG Jones and the British Heart Foundation will also both be closing around 150 stores across the UK.
Other retailers have been forced to close stores this year, including:
The company responsible for iconic British bikemaker Raleigh, Accell Group, also filed for administration this week, putting the 139-year-old British bikemaker at risk of closing.
Several UK travel companies have also ceased trading or entered administration in 2026:
Meanwhile, four UK airlines have fallen into administration or liquidation:
What has a nose, wings and runs off of hydrogen? Ecojet 😎 pic.twitter.com/y8QGiBdFe2
— ecotricity (@ecotricity) July 17, 2023
UK delivery company Yodel is set to be phased out after being acquired by InPost.
It’s also been reported that Morrisons is looking to sell some of its in-store pharmacies as it continues to cut costs.
It hasn’t all been bad news for the UK high street, with several major brands announcing new store openings for 2026, including Aldi, M&S, and Superdrug.
Meanwhile, brands including Evans and Bodycare have returned to the UK high street this year after previously closing all their stores.
Which business/store closure in 2026 has impacted you the most? Let us know in the comments below.
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