Artificial intelligence is redefining cybersecurity priorities
Artificial intelligence is profoundly transforming cybersecurity practices. Able to analyze huge volumes of data, detect suspicious behavior and speed up the identification of vulnerabilities, it is becoming a valuable tool for IT teams. But this development also benefits cybercriminals, who now use AI to automate their attacks, refine their phishing campaigns or develop increasingly sophisticated malware.
Aware of this new reality, the European Commission published an action plan on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence on July 7, 2026. The aim is not to create new regulations, but to define a common strategy to help Member States, businesses and public administrations take advantage of artificial intelligence while managing the risks it creates.
This document marks an important shift: cybersecurity no longer relies solely on preventing attacks, but on organizations' ability to anticipate, withstand and quickly resume operations after an incident. This approach corresponds to the principle of cyber resilience, which is now at the heart of European policies.
In this context, a question is worth asking: if AI makes it possible to better detect cyberthreats, is it enough to protect a company's data over the long term? The answer is no. Backup remains an essential element for ensuring business continuity when an attack or incident occurs.
Why is Europe publishing this plan now?
The European Union considers that artificial intelligence has become a strategic issue, from both an economic and a security standpoint. The most advanced AI models are capable of assisting cybersecurity teams in analyzing threats, but they can also be misused to identify vulnerabilities more quickly or to automate large-scale cyberattacks.
Faced with this development, the Commission wants to prevent European businesses from falling behind or becoming dependent on technologies developed outside Europe. The action plan therefore pursues three major objectives:
- Promoting the safe and responsible use of artificial intelligence;
- Strengthening the cybersecurity and resilience of European organizations;
- Developing European capabilities in AI applied to cybersecurity.
The document builds on several texts already adopted, notably the AI Act, the NIS2 directive, the Cyber Resilience Act and the DORA regulation. It complements this regulatory framework by proposing investments, cooperation initiatives and tools designed to support businesses in adopting AI.
The official document can be found on the European Commission's website: EU Action Plan on Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence.
What will really change for businesses
The European action plan is not aimed solely at institutions or large corporations. It sends a clear message to all organizations: artificial intelligence must now be integrated into an overall strategy for cybersecurity, data governance and resilience.
For CIOs, CISOs, MSPs and executives, this means going beyond a purely technological approach. AI should not be seen as a miracle solution, but as a lever that strengthens an already structured security policy.
AI governance is becoming essential
One of the European Commission's key messages is that the use of AI must be governed by clear rules.
In many companies, employees already use generative artificial intelligence tools to write documents, analyze data or develop code. Without a precise framework, these uses can lead to significant risks: disclosure of confidential information, failure to comply with internal policies or exposure of sensitive data to external services.
AI governance therefore consists of defining clear usage rules, raising employee awareness and identifying authorized use cases. This approach makes it possible to reap the benefits of AI while limiting the risks to the information system.
Faster vulnerability management
The European plan also encourages businesses to use AI to improve their detection and response capabilities.
Artificial intelligence tools can analyze thousands of security events in seconds, identify unusual behavior and help IT teams prioritize the most critical vulnerabilities.
This capability is becoming essential in the face of ever faster cyberattacks. The shorter the time between the discovery of a vulnerability and its fix, the lower the risk of exploitation.
AI does not, however, replace cybersecurity best practices. Businesses must continue to regularly apply security updates, monitor their infrastructure and adopt a Secure by Design approach from the very start of their projects.
Stronger regulatory compliance
This action plan complements several major texts already in force, including the AI Act, the NIS2 directive, the DORA regulation and the Cyber Resilience Act.
Although their objectives differ, these regulations share a common ambition: strengthening the security of information systems and improving the resilience of European organizations.
For businesses, this means that cybersecurity can no longer be treated as a purely technical matter. It is becoming an issue of governance, compliance and risk management, involving IT departments as well as business teams and executives.
Digital sovereignty at the heart of the European strategy
Beyond the regulatory aspects, the plan reflects a strong desire to reduce Europe's dependence on technologies developed abroad.
The Commission therefore plans to invest in European artificial intelligence infrastructure, support research and foster the emergence of sovereign cybersecurity solutions.
This sovereignty logic also applies to data protection. For many organizations, choosing solutions hosted in France or in Europe is part of a strategy of risk control, compliance and trust.
Why AI is not enough to protect data
The European Commission's action plan highlights the potential of artificial intelligence to strengthen cybersecurity. Threat detection, vulnerability analysis, task automation and faster incident response: the benefits are real and should continue to grow in the coming years.
However, the document also points out an essential reality: no technology, however powerful, can guarantee that a cyberattack will always be prevented.
Businesses must therefore shift their paradigm. The goal is no longer just to block attacks, but to limit their consequences when they occur.
This is precisely where data backup retains an irreplaceable role.
Detecting an attack does not mean being able to restore data
Artificial intelligence can considerably improve IT teams' ability to detect abnormal behavior. It can identify suspicious activity on a network, spot an intrusion attempt or flag a vulnerability before it is exploited.
However, once an incident has already occurred, its capabilities remain limited.
Let's look at a few concrete examples.
A ransomware encrypts an SMB's production files. AI can detect the unusual behavior of the malware and alert the security teams. But if the data is already encrypted, it cannot rebuild it.
Likewise, an employee accidentally deletes a folder containing several months of work, or an attacker installs a backdoor to compromise a server. Artificial intelligence can help understand what happened, but it does not replace a backup that makes it possible to restore the data to its original state.
In other words, AI improves prevention and detection. Backup guarantees data recovery and business continuity.
Cyberattacks are evolving faster than defenses
One of the findings of the European plan is that cybercriminals are also using artificial intelligence to become more effective.
They can now automate certain stages of their attacks, create more convincing phishing campaigns, search for vulnerabilities more quickly or develop malware that can more easily evade detection tools.
Businesses also continue to face well-known threats:
- Ransomware that encrypts data to demand a ransom;
- Doxware that threatens to publish confidential information;
- Spyware designed to steal sensitive data;
- Man-in-the-Middle attacks, which intercept communications between two systems;
- Whaling campaigns targeting executives or decision-makers;
- Denial-of-service attacks that disrupt the availability of digital services.
No organization is completely immune to these risks. That is why the Commission insists on the need to strengthen businesses' resilience, in addition to protection mechanisms.
Backup is becoming a pillar of cyber resilience
The term cyber resilience emerges as the real common thread of the European plan.
Unlike an approach focused solely on prevention, cyber resilience aims to ensure that the organization can continue or quickly resume its operations after an incident.
To achieve this, several capabilities must work together:
- Anticipating threats through appropriate governance;
- Quickly detecting incidents;
- Responding effectively when an attack is identified;
- Restoring data and systems in order to resume operations as quickly as possible.
Backup comes into play precisely at this last stage.
A reliable backup strategy limits data loss, reduces downtime and prevents an incident from turning into a major crisis for the company.
It also helps meet growing requirements in terms of compliance, business continuity and risk management.
From compliance to business continuity
New European regulations, such as NIS2 and DORA, encourage organizations to strengthen their resilience.
This does not just mean deploying more cybersecurity tools. Businesses must also demonstrate that they are able to resume operations after an incident.
From this perspective, a backup policy should no longer be seen as a mere technical obligation. It is becoming a strategic investment that protects data, secures business operations and strengthens the trust of customers, partners and authorities.
This vision is fully in line with the philosophy championed by Kiwi Backup: an effective cybersecurity strategy does not rely on a single tool, but on a combination of complementary measures in which backup plays an essential role. Automated backups, regularly tested and hosted in France, enable businesses, MSPs and IT resellers to lastingly strengthen their cyber resilience in the face of constantly evolving threats.
Europe sets the course, businesses must plan ahead
The action plan presented by the European Commission shows that artificial intelligence is becoming a major issue for competitiveness, cybersecurity and digital sovereignty. The European Union wants to support businesses in this transformation by encouraging the development of trustworthy AI, while strengthening the protection of critical infrastructure and data.
For organizations, this document sends a clear message: AI should be seen as an accelerator of cybersecurity capabilities, but it replaces neither solid governance, nor a risk management policy, nor a backup strategy.
Cyberattacks will continue to evolve. Some will be detected more quickly thanks to artificial intelligence, while others will exploit that very same technology to become more effective. In this context, the ability to quickly restore your data is becoming a decisive factor in limiting the consequences of an incident and ensuring business continuity.
Backup is thus establishing itself as a pillar of cyber resilience, on a par with prevention, detection and incident response. It is this comprehensive approach that will enable businesses to meet new regulatory requirements while protecting their digital assets over the long term.