Just when you think you’ve got a handle on the latest threats, something new (and usually worse) shows up. CrowdStrike’s latest research confirms what many suspected: Hackers using AI as a tool for faster and more devastating cyberattacks.
The most unsettling part is that hackers don’t have to be coding geniuses to pull it off. Thanks to AI-powered cyberattacks, even a moderately tech-savvy troublemaker can pull off what once required years of skill.
AI Is a Hacker’s Playground
AI is the golden child in business circles, automating mundane and repetitive tasks, cranking out data insights, and helping everyone get more done in less time.
But hackers can turn the very same systems that make your day more efficient into agents of chaos. An AI-powered cyberattack can do the grunt work: write perfectly convincing phishing emails, script malicious code on demand, even whip up custom malware before you’ve finished your morning coffee.
What’s even more concerning is how AI makes it possible for even a newbie with a bit of curiosity and the wrong intentions to conjure up some nasty malware in no time.
Are Your AI Tools a Cybersecurity Risk?
Weaponized AI isn’t just about hackers using AI for their nefarious ends. They’re also targeting the AI you already use.
CrowdStrike found attackers going after platforms that build and run AI agents. Why? Because if they compromise those tools, they can swipe credentials, plant malware, or quietly slip a backdoor into your systems.
It’s like having a guard dog that just hands over your house keys to a burglar.
Agentic AI Systems Are a New Attack Surface
CrowdStrike’s biggest concern is with “agentic” AI systems, or those that can take actions on their own based on goals or instructions. In other words, these systems execute tasks without any human involvement. Security experts say that these systems are now a prime target for hackers and need protection.
A New Age of AI-Driven Threats
We’re also seeing the rise of adversarial machine learning, where attackers manipulate the data fed into AI models to distort their behavior. Combine that with deepfake attacks (AI-generated video or audio designed to impersonate trusted individuals), and you have a perfect storm of high-tech deception.
AI-powered cyberattacks are evolving so rapidly that traditional defenses often struggle to keep up. This isn’t just a problem for massive corporations; small and mid-sized businesses are also prime targets, especially if they rely on AI tools without fully understanding and addressing the associated risks.
Know the Risks to Your Business
For all the ways that AI can help your business, it’s also giving cybercriminals what they need to make their activities more efficient and successful. Between cyberattack automation, adversarial machine learning, and the exploitation of agentic AI systems, the threat landscape is more dangerous and unpredictable than ever before.
Awareness is the first line of defense for your company. Understanding how AI-powered cyberattacks work and how attackers are leveraging enterprise AI tools as weapons is essential for staying ahead of the curve.
