The paradox of AI and cybersecurity: a human challenge at the heart of amplified threats

Artificial intelligence is everywhere, including in cybercriminals’ arsenal. It does not create new threats, but it considerably amplifies classic attack techniques such as phishing and malware. Because AI is now widely available and easy to use, attackers can operate at scale, making attacks more massive and harder to detect.

How does AI boost cyberattacks?

AI is a valuable tool for attackers, giving them capabilities that were previously reserved for professionals:

  • Personalized, large-scale phishing: AI generates personalized emails without spelling mistakes, making phishing attempts much more convincing. An attacker can create thousands of different emails, rendering detection techniques based on signature analysis ineffective.
  • Polymorphic malware: AI helps generate malware variants capable of bypassing traditional antivirus software. Each piece of malware becomes almost unique, making antivirus software based on file signatures largely obsolete.
  • Deepfakes and social engineering: Voice cloning and hyper-realistic video generation are now possible in real time. This opens the door to targeted attacks, such as wire transfer fraud, where the attacker poses as an executive on a video call to give an order.

AI also amplifies brute-force attacks by generating lists of passwords to test based on personal information gleaned from the web. Short passwords or passwords based on personal data are no longer enough.

Defending against AI: a central human challenge

As threats accelerate, response time is crucial. The average time between intrusion and the impact of an attack has dropped from five days to less than 24 hours. While AI can help defenders detect anomalies and threats, it also generates a large volume of false alerts. The problem is that we lack the human resources to analyze these alerts and separate true from false.

People remain the weakest link. More than half of attacks are linked to human error, such as clicking on a phishing email or a misconfiguration. AI cannot replace human analysis; it can only augment it. Humans always have the last word and make the final decision.

To ensure effective protection, you need to focus on the fundamentals of cybersecurity:

  • System updates: A basic step that is often neglected and leaves systems vulnerable.
  • User training: Raising team awareness of phishing, secure passwords and best practices remains the best protection.
  • Data backup: This is your safety net. An offsite, immutable backup with a sufficiently long history is essential to get back on your feet after a disaster.

Kiwi Backup: people and technology working together for security

At Kiwi Backup, we know that technology alone is not enough. That is why our backup solutions combine high-performance tools with human expertise. Our Kiwi Cloud and Kiwi Santé offerings, ISO 27001 and HDS certified, guarantee offsite, immutable backup with history, meeting the three essential criteria of a sound strategy.

We also offer a Cloud-to-Cloud solution to back up Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace data. Our centralized dashboard and close monitoring help you make sure your backups actually work, because a backup that does not work is useless. By combining a robust technical solution with human vigilance, you have the best assets to face today’s and tomorrow’s cyber threats.