AI-Driven Cyberattacks Surge in 2024, Exposing Critical Security Gaps—SoSafe Report

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping cybersecurity threats, with a new report from SoSafe revealing that 87% of organizations encountered AI-driven cyberattacks in 2024. Despite the growing threat landscape, only 26% of security professionals feel highly confident in their ability to detect such attacks, highlighting significant vulnerabilities in enterprise security frameworks.

Escalating AI-Powered Cyber Threats

SoSafe’s research, based on insights from 500 global security professionals and 100 SoSafe customers across 10 countries, indicates that 91% of respondents expect AI-driven cyber threats to increase significantly over the next three years.

AI’s role in multichannel cyberattacks—spanning email, text, social media, and other digital platforms—has also intensified. An overwhelming 95% of security professionals report a noticeable increase in these sophisticated attack methods over the past two years.

AI Expands the Attack Surface

A striking example cited in the report involves a cyberattack against WWP’s CEO, where AI-powered deception was used across multiple platforms:

• WhatsApp was leveraged to build trust.
• Microsoft Teams facilitated further interaction.
• An AI-generated deepfake voice call convinced the victim to disclose sensitive data and financial details.

This underscores how AI adoption is inadvertently expanding organizations’ attack surfaces, exposing them to risks such as data poisoning and AI hallucinations.

AI Security Controls Remain Underdeveloped

Despite growing concerns, the report found that 55% of organizations have yet to fully implement controls to mitigate risks from their internal AI systems. Among the most pressing concerns:

• 51% worry about AI-generated obfuscation techniques, which mask the origins and intent of cyberattacks.
• 45% cite the creation of entirely new attack methods as their top concern.
• 38% highlight the scale and speed of AI-driven automated attacks as a significant challenge.

AI-Powered Cybercrime Calls for AI-Powered Defense

Andrew Rose, Chief Security Officer at SoSafe, warns that AI is scaling both the sophistication and personalization of cyberattacks, making them harder to detect:

“Attackers are leveraging AI to mimic normal communication patterns, integrating voice, video, and text elements into seamless ‘3D phishing’ scams. Even AI tools that organizations deploy for internal efficiency can be weaponized against them, helping cybercriminals locate sensitive data and key personnel. It is critical that businesses integrate AI security measures alongside human awareness to counteract these evolving threats.”

Niklas Hellemann, CEO of SoSafe, reinforces the importance of a human-AI hybrid approach to cybersecurity:

“While AI presents new security challenges, it also serves as a powerful tool in defending against cyber threats. However, even the most advanced AI-driven security solutions are only as effective as the people using them. Cybersecurity awareness, combined with AI-enhanced threat detection, is essential to building more resilient organizations.”

As AI continues to revolutionize both security and cybercrime, organizations must proactively strengthen their cybersecurity frameworks, integrating regulatory compliance, risk assessment, and AI-driven security solutions to mitigate emerging threats.