AI provides cybercriminals with tools to improve the precision, efficiency, and scalability of their attacks. Here are some of the ways it is being leveraged:

Automated Phishing Campaigns: Traditional phishing attacks rely on human-crafted emails sent in mass, hoping to trick recipients into clicking malicious links. AI enhances this process by analyzing social media profiles, email histories, and other publicly available data to craft personalized, convincing messages. This increases the likelihood of victims falling for these scams.

Deepfake Technology: Deepfakes—AI-generated images, videos, or voices that mimic real individuals—are being weaponized to deceive targets. For example, cybercriminals can use deepfake audio to impersonate executives and authorize fraudulent financial transactions (a tactic known as Business Email Compromise 2.0).

AI-Powered Malware: AI can be used to develop malware that adapts in real time to evade detection. These advanced threats analyze their environment and modify their behavior to bypass firewalls, antivirus software, and other security measures.

Credential Stuffing and Password Cracking: AI-driven tools can quickly analyze massive datasets of stolen credentials and identify patterns, enabling cybercriminals to crack passwords faster. Machine learning algorithms can also predict and test password variations with alarming speed and accuracy.

Exploiting IoT Devices: As Internet of Things (IoT) devices proliferate, AI is being used to identify vulnerabilities in these devices. Once compromised, these devices can be used as entry points for larger attacks or added to botnets for distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) campaigns.