AI Cyberattacks Outpace Defences

A recent IBM report indicates that AI-related cyber breaches are significantly outpacing the implementation of AI security measures and governance. The report, analysing data breaches experienced by 600 organisations globally, highlights that AI is becoming a readily exploitable target. Approximately 13% of organisations reported breaches of AI models or applications, with a further 8% unsure if they had been compromised. A staggering 97% of compromised organisations lacked adequate AI access controls.

The lack of governance leads to substantial repercussions, with 60% of AI-related security incidents resulting in data compromise and 31% causing operational disruption. Organisations that use AI and automation in their security operations experienced an average saving of $1.9 million in breach costs and reduced the breach lifecycle by 80 days. However, there has been a decline in the number of organisations planning to invest in security following a breach.

The report also found that 16% of breaches involved attackers using AI tools, predominantly for phishing or deepfake impersonation attacks. The cost of breaches is also set to have a knock-on effect, with nearly half of all organisations reporting that they planned to raise the price of goods or services because of the breach, and nearly one-third reporting price increases of 15% or more.