Artificial Intelligence
& Cybersecurity
Why it is so important
“Generative AI has increased both the frequency and sophistication of cyber threats, emphasizing the pressing need for advanced defensive strategies.” – Axios
AI | SeCured with Strategy
AI as a new cyber trheat
cybersecurity for ai
Innovations & opportunities
AI as a new cyber threat
How Cybercriminals use AI
AI is reshaping cybersecurity, and attackers are benefiting from it. Cybercriminals now wield AI to launch faster, smarter, and more scalable attacks. And they no longer need deep technical knowledge to do it.
The WEF estimates AI-powered cybercrime could cost the global economy $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. The question isn’t if AI will be used against your organization, but when, and how prepared you’ll be.
DEEPFAKES AND DECEPTION
SOCIAL ENGINEERING: SUPERCHARGED
AI-generated audio and video are now so realistic that victims can’t tell the difference. This changes the game:
- Deepfake impersonation: Executives, IT admins, even loved ones, anyone can be faked. In one 2020 case, scammers used deepfake audio to impersonate a CEO and steal $35 million.
- Synthetic identities: AI-created personas are used to bypass KYC systems and build credible online presences, arming criminals with digital ghosts.
Forget Nigerian princes. This is elite-level social engineering: automated and weaponized
Case Study
“Pull the plug, we’re being hacked!” The IT manager’s voice sounds firm but urgent. “They’re stealing data right now! I think I might’ve fallen for a phishing mail and they’re using my account. Reset my password immediately!”
The network team cuts all connections. Everything goes offline. They reset the manager’s credentials and give him new ones, just like he asked.
Only later do they realize: the voice was a deepfake. There was no breach until they created one. While the company scrambled to contain a fake attack and effectively DoS-ed themselves, the real intruders walked in with freshly issued credentials.
Turning old tricks into new threats
Weaponized AI
Phishing at scale means that AI transforms phishing from a manual process into a high-speed, mass-customized weapon.
- Effortless scaling: What once took hours, crafting a single convincing spear-phishing email can now be automated to generate hundreds of hyper-personalized emails in minutes.
- Improved results: AI-generated phishing emails see success rates up to 54%, but that’s not the real kicker: it’s the speed and scale that makes them deadly!
Combine this with AI’s ability to analyze data from social media, breached databases, and corporate comms, and attackers get intelligent spear-phishing that hits harder and faster.
From Recon to Breach
AI on autopilot
Once the door is cracked open, AI does the rest.
- Automated recon: AI scrapes everything! LinkedIn, GitHub, dark web dumps, all are used to map your organization and find soft targets.
- Password cracking: AI-enhanced brute-force attacks crack 60% of 8-character passwords in under an hour.
- Malware evolution: AI-driven ransomware (like Ryuk) adapts in real time, dodges detection, and hunts high-value assets.
What used to take coordinated teams of hackers can now be done by a single script kiddie with the right toolkit. And whatever tools they may need are readily available online.
AI MAKES IT EASY
CYBERCRIME
AS-A-SERVICE
No skills or tools? No problem.
- Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) offers fully automated attack kits with AI-enhanced payloads; this market alone is worth $14 billion annually.
- Dark web tools sell for as little as $50, providing ready-made exploits, phishing kits, and even customer support.
AI lowers the bar so much that anyone with a grudge and a crypto wallet can now launch devastating attacks.
clarity and discipline
Securing AI
AI holds tremendous promise, but it also creates a whole new attack surface. Especially when organizations build or integrate AI solutions themselves. Think prompt injection, model theft, unauthorized API access, or training data quietly containing sensitive information.
So how do you secure AI? A mature organization embraces a Zero Trust approach: no implicit trust, only explicit access controls based on identity, context and behavior. Concretely, this means:
- Monitor: Continuously watch behavior and respond to anomalies in real time..
- Segment: Isolate AI components (models, datasets, APIs) within the network.
- Restrict: Grant access only to those who truly need it and review this regularly.
Case Study
AI is no different from handing a carpenter a powerful new saw: used well, it’s a powerful new tool. But you nee to understand where the risks lie and how to guard against them.
Here’s what we frequently encounter when it comes to AI:
- AI systems deployed in the cloud without proper network segmentation.
- Models and datasets accessible to everyone in the company, or worse, to anyone with a link.
- A lack of clear controls over who has access to what and why.
For example: an employee asks if they can deploy their own AI agent to process internal documents. They’ve found one that runs effortlessly via a cloud service and “just needs access to the shared folder.”
Sounds convenient, but what if that agent starts leaking sensitive data to third parties? What if the source code or the model itself can be tampered with? What if an attacker uses that agent as a stepping stone into your systems?
Innovation and opportunities
AI as a catalyst
A recent survey revealed that only 20% of companies feel very prepared to defend against AI-powered cyberattacks. Furthermore, 56% of respondents noted that generative AI has increased both the frequency and sophistication of cyber threats, emphasizing the pressing need for advanced defensive strategies. – Axios
The problem isn’t capability: it’s coordination. Between data and decisions. Between technical teams and business leaders. Between what the SOC sees and what the board needs to know.
This is where AI, done right, becomes a turning point. It’s not about more automation. It’s about less noise. Better judgment. Smarter action.
Case Study
“We’re under attack… again?” The CFO exhales — not in shock, but in fatigue. Five incident alerts this quarter. Three budget spikes from IT. One audit report she can’t explain.
“I keep getting updates,” she says, “but no one tells me what to do, or why we’re always one click away from disaster.”
The CIO barely looks up. “We don’t lack tools. We lack clarity. A hundred dashboards, no priority.”
The CISO nods. “By the time I escalate something, it’s too late.”
Silence.
The CRO leans in. “I’m supposed to convince insurers we’ve got our risk under control. Honestly? I don’t know if we do.”
Then the CEO: “We have all the tech in the world. And still no one here feels safe.”
The shift has already begun
Smart ai in security
Cybersecurity is no longer just defense: it’s strategy. AI won’t solve everything. But it will decide who stays ahead.
The organizations that use it to cut through noise and align with business goals will lead. The rest? Still drowning in alerts. Still waiting for clarity that never comes.
Here’s what smart AI in security should actually do:
- Cut Through the Noise
AI should separate urgency from importance: learning what’s critical to the business, not just what’s technically abnormal. - Bridge the Silos
From cloud to endpoint, identity to SaaS: AI must correlate signals across domains to reveal the full threat picture. Not just visibility, but context. - Accelerate Response
Triage should be automatic. Response guided. Rehearsal constant. The goal isn’t just speed, but readiness. - Speak Business
Security metrics must translate into board language: risk, impact, cost. AI should deliver clarity, not complexity. - Move With Innovation
Security can’t chase transformation. It has to move with it. AI enables protection that travels at the speed of business: embedded, not bolted on.
ON2IT’s Solutions
Fight fire with fire
AI is a double-edged sword. It can empower defenders, but right now, it’s turbocharging attackers.They are using AI to make attacks smarter, faster, and more deceptive than ever.
Since 2010, we’ve helped organizations build Zero Trust environments and today, that strategy includes AI. We have a plethora of varied tools and solutions, like:
Investing in Zero Trust, anomaly detection, and response automation.
Our AI Playbook
Blogs
Cybersecurity for AI: How to protect AI systems you use or own
AI holds tremendous promise, but it also creates a whole new attack surface. Especially when organizations build or integrate AI solutions themselves. Think prompt injection, model theft, unauthorized API access, or training data quietly containing sensitive information.
