FEATURE verification will increasingly depend on processes and controls rather than appearances.
The rise of automated cyberattacks
While phishing and deepfakes attract considerable attention, AI is also transforming the technical stages of cyberattacks.
Attackers can use AI to analyse publicly available information, identify exposed infrastructure, examine software code and accelerate vulnerability discovery. AI-assisted tools can also support malware modification and automate repetitive tasks that previously required significant manual effort.
Fischer points to the emergence of autonomous agents capable of coordinating activities and accelerating the attack process.
“ The big change is that you now have agents that can spawn other agents and do things quicker and faster. People are also sharing their findings online. Hopefully most people in the open source space are patching the vulnerabilities and finding ways to make sure they get patched. But sometimes there isn’ t enough time to respond.”
The growing availability of these capabilities means attackers can potentially launch more campaigns simultaneously, increasing the volume of threats confronting already stretched security teams.
Entonu highlights the importance of speed in this changing environment.
“ Attackers use AI to move through the early stages of an attack much faster. It can sift through publicly available information, look for exposed systems, analyse code and help identify vulnerabilities worth pursuing.”
For defenders, conventional approaches that depend heavily on manual investigation and delayed responses are becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.
AI strengthens the defensive front line
The same technology empowering cybercriminals is also creating opportunities to transform cybersecurity operations.
Across security operations centres, AI is being used to correlate security events, identify
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