The future of cybersecurity is here, and it’s powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Security teams are increasingly finding effective use cases for AI in their defense strategies, but threat actors are also leveraging readily available AI tools to increase the efficacy of their own attacks. Additionally, even leveraging AI for “good” can have its consequences if not handled properly. Security teams must be cognizant of what access these AI tools have to sensitive data and systems, how that access is managed, and ethical considerations of using certain data types.
As the market continues to be flooded with new AI solutions, platforms, and products, it is crucial to remain highly vigilant in selecting tools that not only offer robust functionality but also ensure the highest standards of data protection. The proliferation of AI technologies brings with it a dual responsibility: leveraging the power of AI to bolster security measures while simultaneously safeguarding sensitive information from potential misuse.
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The Impact of AI on Modern Cybersecurity
Although there are many functions that AI can’t fully automate or take over, AI is going to start doing more of the heavy lifting when it comes to security in the coming year. This means that security tooling will incorporate more AI, helping with defenses that are cumbersome and leave too much room for human mistakes. Organizations will leverage AI to level out their Security Operations Centers (SOCs), so that they don’t need as many resources to run it. This also will free up time for junior security professionals to learn new skills, take on new responsibilities, and generally level-up their careers.
While overall this trend will be highly positive for cybersecurity teams, we do need to be cautious about how we leverage AI and grant it access to sensitive data and systems. As organizations start to spin up their own AI models and engines, they need to think about how to protect it. Unsecured or unchecked AI could wreak havoc on organizations. For example, chatbots such as Google’s Gemini are powerful tools, but we need to be cognizant of how it touches sensitive customer or employee data. Whether using a tool like Gemini or a proprietary internally-built model, security leaders will need to rethink their approach to access privileges in the context of AI tools in 2025.
The Deepfake Dilemma
Deepfakes, a product of AI, are emerging threats that CISOs will need to keep on their radar. Recently, the CEO of cloud security company Wiz announced that his employees were being targeted by sophisticated deepfakes mimicking his voice. Executives who have many public speaking engagements and a more public presence are easier to target, because their voices and likeness can be tracked down by hackers looking to create a deepfake. Threat actors are continuously developing new ways to weaponize AI, including creating and selling highly sophisticated phishing kits available on the Dark Web. It is only a matter of time before these kits will include more sophisticated tactics including deepfakes, and we will see more of these attacks in 2025.
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One of the best defenses at the onset of an attack is simply user education. If an “executive” is asking you to do something abnormal – such as conducting a wire transfer, paying a vendor, buying gift cards or sharing highly sensitive credentials – double check via a trusted form of contact to confirm the ask is legitimate before taking any action. This could be in the form of a phone call to the exec’s cell phone or direct line, a text message, an email, etc. For any financial requests, make sure to follow proper procedures and channels and become familiar with the policies within the finance team.
Balancing Innovation with Ethical Management
Can we trust machines to protect us? As AI continues to evolve and take center stage in cybersecurity, we’re forced to confront this question. While AI offers unparalleled capabilities in enhancing security measures, automating tasks, and reducing human error, its integration raises ethical concerns about how it is managed. By staying informed and adopting a cautious yet innovative approach, security teams can harness the full potential of AI while protecting their organizations from emerging threats.
