According to a recent survey, 56% of cybersecurity professionals believe emerging technology is providing a significant advantage to threat actors. Gartner agrees, finding that cyber attacks using AI are now the biggest risks for enterprises.
AI has made it much easier for unsophisticated threat actors to create attack scenarios, simplifying the process of scripting and coding, according to U.S. Treasury’s CISO Sarah Nur: “A beginner hacker can go to the intermediate level and even the most sophisticated adversaries can be more efficient.”
While AI offers powerful capabilities to prevent attacks, it also enables more sophisticated, autonomous threat landscapes where AI can execute, learn, and adapt attacks to enhance reach and scale.
AI is a powerful defensive tool in cybersecurity. Machine learning algorithms and threat detection powered by artificial intelligence in cybersecurity allow organizations to identify, assess, and neutralize threats faster than ever.
However, as AI has evolved, it has become a valuable tool for attackers as well — transforming from a purely defensive mechanism into an offensive weapon.
In some cases, attackers are using AI to attack AI tools:
One 2024 study showed that the number of AI attacks increased dramatically — accounting for about 40% of all cyber attacks.
Two sectors hit hardest are healthcare and retail. Retail sites experienced an average of more than half a million AI-driven attacks a day.
Look for escalating AI cyber attacks in 2025, especially in these areas:
Threat actors have ramped up their attack strategies using Gen AI, creating more targeted social engineering attacks. With the ability to analyze and process vast amounts of data, phishing attacks have become more convincing than ever.
Using machine learning, AI can study an individual's online behavior, language style, and social connections to craft highly convincing messages. By targeting specific individuals with precision, AI-powered phishing attacks are much harder to detect and are more likely to succeed.
AI can be used to analyze networks to exploit weaknesses and inject malicious code, such as ransomware.
Hackers no longer need access to sophisticated tools or high-powered computing to manage ransomware attacks at scale. Gen AI offers free tools and Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) has become more commonplace and obtainable.
AI algorithms can also analyze system behaviors to determine the best timing for an attack, bypassing detection and hitting systems when they are most vulnerable.
Threat actors are innovating new ways to attack systems as well, no longer relying on users to trigger executable files in traditional malware attacks. Fileless malware works inside computer memory rather than hard drives, making it much more difficult for traditional antivirus software to detect.
AI enhances fileless malware by enabling it to adapt in real-time, evading traditional antivirus tools that rely on file-based signatures. This allows the malware to remain undetected while executing malicious actions within a network, posing a formidable challenge for security teams.
In light of this escalation, businesses must re-evaluate their risks considering AI-driven threats. Keeping pace with AI-powered attacks will likely require investing in sophisticated defense systems to keep up.
There are also increasing regulatory considerations that will require new compliance mechanisms and the potential for new frameworks around AI in cybersecurity.
To counter this AI-driven onslaught, managed security service providers are developing more sophisticated solutions that are capable of detecting and responding to AI-driven threats in real-time.
By leveraging machine learning algorithms, these tools can analyze cyber threat intelligence, predict potential attack patterns, and detect anomalies that may indicate an attack.
However, human expertise remains critical. Skilled security professionals bring contextual understanding and insight that automation may miss, such as nuanced or emerging behavioral patterns. By combining AI’s analytical prowess with human intuition, organizations can build a more resilient and adaptive defense system.
For those charged with protecting company networks and assets, understanding AI’s evolving role in cyber attacks is crucial. Organizations must prepare for increased AI-driven threats by being proactive and combining AI-powered defenses with expert human intelligence.
We can help.
The cybersecurity experts at Tec-Refresh can help you develop better security processes to help mitigate increasing threats. We offer:
Improve your cybersecurity defenses against evolving threats. Contact us today to discuss how to secure your organization for 2025 and beyond.