How AI Is Changing the Way Hackers Attack, and How to Defend Against It
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping almost every industry, and cybercrime is no exception. Where attacks used to require time-consuming manual effort, sophisticated attackers now use AI and automation to scale, personalise, and accelerate their campaigns. For businesses that rely on their IT for daily operations, understanding this change, and acting on it, is essential.
From Phishing to Deepfakes: The New Face of Social Engineering
AI has made phishing and social engineering far more convincing. Instead of generic, poorly written emails, attackers can generate personalised messages that mirror the tone and style of a company executive or a trusted supplier. These messages often reference real events, names and organisational details harvested from public profiles and company websites, which means that recipients are more likely to click malicious links or share credentials. Deepfake audio and video add another layer of danger; what sounds like your MD on a call could be synthetic, instructing staff to transfer funds or reveal sensitive information.
AI and Password Cracking: Why Old Tricks Don’t Work Anymore
Credential attacks have also evolved. AI-powered tools can take a single leaked username and test thousands of password variations across different services at speed. These systems combine pattern recognition with computing power to focus on likely password variants, making previously “clever” substitutions and short passwords far less effective. At the same time, automated bots perform credential stuffing and account takeover attempts at scale, probing multiple services simultaneously and only needing one success to cause serious damage.
Smart Targeting: How Hackers Use AI to Profile Victims
Reconnaissance and targeting have become more efficient thanks to machine learning. Attackers can gather public and semi-public data, then use AI to map organisational hierarchies, identify high-value targets, and determine the best time and method to attack. Supply chain and third-party attacks are particularly attractive: a single weakness in a supplier can cascade into multiple victims, and AI helps adversaries identify those weak links quickly.
How Businesses Can Defend Against AI-Driven Threats
So what can businesses do to defend themselves in an era of AI-augmented attacks? First, think beyond passwords. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a simple yet highly effective control because it prevents access even if credentials are compromised. Using a well-configured authenticator app or hardware keys is a stronger option than SMS-based codes. Equally important is the use of password managers. These tools generate and store long, unique passwords for every service, removing the temptation to reuse credentials that attackers can exploit.
Proactive Monitoring and Detection: XDR, MDR, and the Power of the SOC
Next, move from detection to proactive monitoring. Modern endpoint protection is no longer limited to antivirus signatures; extended detection and response (XDR) and managed detection and response (MDR) services combine advanced analytics with human analysts to spot suspicious behaviour and respond rapidly. A Security Operations Centre (SOC) that uses threat intelligence and automation can pick up the subtle indicators of AI-driven attacks, such as unusual login patterns or rapid credential-testing behaviour, and escalate them before they turn into breaches.
Smarter Cybersecurity Training: Preparing People for AI-Enhanced Threats
Staff training remains vital, but it must evolve. Traditional awareness sessions that focus on generic “don’t click” messages aren’t enough when phishing is personalised and deepfakes can impersonate colleagues. Training should be scenario-based and realistic, using examples of targeted attacks tailored to your industry. Regular simulated phishing exercises, combined with clear reporting channels and positive reinforcement for good behaviour, create a workforce that is a real line of defence rather than an accidental vulnerability.
Backups and Business Continuity: Recover Fast When Ransomware Strikes
Backup and recovery strategies also need to be bulletproof. AI-accelerated ransomware campaigns can encrypt large volumes of data in minutes, so your backups must be immutable, tested regularly, and stored separately from primary systems. Separating live systems from backups and maintaining a clear disaster recovery plan helps ensure that, even if attackers succeed, you can restore services with a minimum of disruption.
Zero Trust and Network Segmentation: Limiting the Damage
Network design and segmentation reduce blast radius. Treat critical systems and supplier connections as separate zones and limit lateral movement. Zero Trust principles, verify explicitly, grant least privilege, and assume breach, make it harder for attackers to move through your environment even after an initial foothold. Coupled with regular vulnerability management and patching, these architectural approaches raise the cost and complexity for attackers.
Finally, consider partnerships. The pace and sophistication of AI-driven threats make it unrealistic for most organisations to handle everything in-house. A proactive managed service provider like Sunrise Technologies can bring the combination of advanced tooling, continuous monitoring, regulatory knowledge, and strategic planning that protects businesses at scale. We help companies implement MFA and password management, deploy XDR/MDR solutions, run realistic staff training, and build robust backup and disaster recovery plans, all while aligning security with business needs and compliance requirements.
Fighting AI with Proactive Intelligence
AI has levelled up the attacker. That doesn’t mean defenders are helpless, but it does mean the bar for protection must rise. By combining strong authentication, secure password practices, advanced detection, realistic training, tested backups, thoughtful network design, and trusted partnerships, businesses can meet this new challenge and keep their people, data and operations safe.
At Sunrise Technologies we work with companies across Essex and London to implement these measures and to build resilience that’s practical and sustainable. If you’d like to review your exposure to AI-enabled attacks or discuss a proactive security roadmap, book a free cybersecurity assessment and we’ll walk you through the options.