Financial Times report says AI is making cyber attacks harder to stop

In short: A Financial Times special report says AI is helping criminals carry out cyber attacks in new ways, and it is making defense harder for many organisations.

What's going on

The Financial Times report describes how AI is “supercharging” cyber crime. In simple terms, AI can help criminals work faster and at larger scale, like having a cheap assistant that can write convincing messages, create fake identities, and automate parts of an attack.

One example is deepfakes, which are fake audio or video made to look real (like a realistic voice impersonation). The report says criminal groups are building deepfake personas “on an industrial scale” to trick people into sharing information or access.

Another issue is “synthetic insiders.” This is when attackers pretend to be real employees, often by applying for remote jobs and getting hired. Once inside, they can steal data or open the door for other criminals, similar to giving someone a staff badge who should never have entered the building.

The report also highlights supply-chain risk. Many organisations rely on outside vendors for software and services. If an attacker breaks into one company in a network, they may gain access to many others, like using one stolen key to enter multiple apartments in the same building.

What to watch

The report suggests these threats are pushing organisations to rethink basics like identity checks for new hires, vendor security reviews, and cyber insurance. It also points to an ongoing debate about ransomware, which is when criminals lock your files and demand payment to unlock them, and whether governments should ban paying ransoms.

Source: Financial Times