Most Businesses Fear AI is Driving the Rise of Cyberattacks, Reveals Study

Kaspersky‘s recent study reveals businesses are growing worried about the rising use of AI in cyberattacks.

Findings revealed that 76% of surveyed companies reported a rise in cyber incidents over the past year, with 46% of respondents noting many of these attacks were likely AI-driven. This underscores the reality that AI, which has revolutionized numerous industries, also empowers cybercriminals, adding complexity to the threats businesses face.

In its latest study titled “Cyber defense & AI: Are you ready to protect your organization?” Kaspersky gathered the opinions of IT Security and Information Security professionals working for SMEs and Enterprise-level companies regarding new challenges in protecting their organizations against cyberattacks with AI. The majority of respondents participating in the survey (76%) said that the number of cyberattacks in their companies increased in the last 12 months, and 46% believe that most of those cyberattacks included leveraging AI. 

A significant concern for 72% of respondents is the use of AI by cybercriminals, prompting companies to rethink their cybersecurity strategies. To combat AI-enhanced threats, businesses prioritize regular training (92%), skilled personnel (91%), and external cybersecurity expertise (90%). They also emphasize the need for adequate IT staff (88%) and third-party security solutions (86%).

And yet, the study also revealed a significant gap in readiness among companies regarding cybersecurity. Over half of the organizations surveyed lack essential resources: 57% lack external cybersecurity expertise, 54% have insufficient IT team size, 49% do not have highly qualified staff, and 52% fall short in regular training. Furthermore, 53% believe they lack adequate security solutions, leaving them vulnerable. While many claim to know how to address these resource shortages, the necessary measures are still not implemented.

“The recent hype around AI offers an easy, if not entirely correct explanation. In reality, while using AI to create convincing phishing messages or more effective reconnaissance may be of some help, the root causes are most often more straightforward: cybercriminals have become more organized, better at collaborating, developing innovative attack strategies, and lowering the barriers for less skilled and resourceful attackers,” shared Oleg Gorobets, corporate infrastructure protection expert at Kaspersky.

To protect the business against AI-enabled cyberthreats, Kaspersky recommends the following:

• Ensure that every level and element of your IT network is protected with solid, multi-layered protective solutions. Kaspersky solutions, starting with Kaspersky Next product line, all have fairly advanced AI technologies under the hood designed to automatically block emerging threats. Its multi-layered protection involves not only detecting and blocking threats but also reducing your attack surface through additional hardening measures, such as Application Control, Web Control, and Vulnerability & Patch Management.
• Make sure that these security solutions offer inter-compatibility to provide your team with a unified view of your corporate security. This is where XDR comes into play – implementing an organic XDR ecosystem from a single vendor is always the superior choice; Kaspersky Next XDR Expert is a natural option here.
• By leveraging the best cybersecurity expertise, you can detect and contain complex, focused attacks which increase in sophistication as AI tools help attackers to launch more precise targeted attacks. If you lack this expertise in-house, Kaspersky Managed Detection & Response together with online and live Kaspersky Cybersecurity Training are strong options that bolster your in-house skills.
• Turn your office workforce into an extra layer of defense with the Kaspersky Automated Security Awareness Platform, which instills cybersafe behavior. It includes specialized sections dedicated to AI-assisted threats and the safe use of AI tools, helping to avoid the risks associated with the growing proliferation of AI tools.

To read the full study, visit this link: https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/cyber-defense-and-ai-kaspersky-report-2024/.