By Joe Seanor, CISSP | Cyber Investigator & Network Security Expert

In 2025, AI isn’t just in your phone or your marketing platform—it’s in the hands of cybercriminals.

And they’re using it to scale attacks faster, smarter, and more convincingly than ever before.

As someone who investigates cyber threats professionally, I’ve seen a major shift: AI is now the weapon of choice for modern attackers.

Here’s how AI is being used to power next-gen cyber threats—and most importantly, what you can do to defend your business.

Deepfakes Are Becoming Dangerous (and Convincing)

Not long ago, deepfakes were seen as entertaining or experimental. Now? They’re being used in:

• CEO fraud: Fake videos or audio of executives asking finance teams to wire money
• Voice cloning: Synthetic voice calls impersonating vendors, partners, or managers
• Reputation attacks: Deepfake content used to smear public figures or companies

Real Case:
In 2024, a UK-based firm lost $243,000 after receiving a deepfaked voicemail from a fake CFO. The voice was AI-generated, and the transaction seemed routine.

Protect Yourself:

• Use secure verification channels for sensitive requests
• Train teams to verify via secondary method (call/text back on a known number)
• Implement policies that require dual approval for large transfers

Phishing Is Now Hyper-Personalized

AI tools can now write perfectly crafted phishing emails that match tone, grammar, and even language quirks of real people.

Some even scrape social media and websites to customize messages per target.

Example:
Instead of “Your password has expired,” an AI-crafted email might say:
“Hi Sarah, saw your recent Salesforce update—can you log in to apply the security patch by 4 PM?”

Scary accurate.

Protect Yourself:

• Train employees with real-world phishing simulations
• Use email security filters with AI detection
• Look for subtle anomalies—odd email addresses, links, or urgency

Synthetic Identities Are Fueling Fraud

AI-generated faces, names, and identities are used to open bank accounts, apply for credit, or infiltrate SaaS platforms.

Many of these synthetic personas are undetectable by traditional KYC (Know Your Customer) tools.

Why it matters:
These identities can infiltrate your business, register on your site, or engage in payment fraud.

Protect Yourself:

• Use identity verification solutions that detect synthetic patterns (biometrics, cross-checking)
• Don’t rely on name/email matching alone
• Flag unusual account behaviors (e.g., multiple logins from different geos)

AI Is Writing Malware

AI is helping cybercriminals:

• Write polymorphic malware that changes form to evade detection
• Automatically identify vulnerabilities in open-source software
• Generate exploit code for known weaknesses (e.g., SQL injection)

Protect Yourself:

• Keep all systems patched and updated
• Use EDR (Endpoint Detection & Response) with behavioral analysis
• Limit software dependencies to trusted vendors only

AI Lowers the Barrier to Entry for Attackers

Perhaps the biggest danger? AI makes cybercrime accessible to non-technical criminals.

Tools now exist that let anyone:

• Launch phishing campaigns
• Rent ransomware kits
• Automate attacks with “push-button” malware builders

This is creating a flood of low-skill, high-volume threats across the internet.

What You Can Do (Starting Today)

1. Treat AI-powered threats as today’s problem—not tomorrow’s
If you’re still relying on 2018-level protections, you’re wide open.

2. Use AI defensively too
Modern security platforms use AI for anomaly detection, behavior monitoring, and phishing prevention. Invest in tools that evolve.

3. Educate your employees regularly
Make cyber training a quarterly practice. Include deepfakes, phishing, and social engineering examples.

4. Partner with cyber professionals
If you don’t have a security team, partner with someone who lives and breathes this world. Like me.

Final Thoughts

AI is neutral—it’s a tool.

But in the wrong hands, it’s amplifying cyber threats in ways we’ve never seen before.

The good news? With the right awareness, tools, and vigilance, you can stay ahead of the curve.

Stay secure,

Joe Seanor

CISSP | Private Cybersecurity Consultant