AI is reshaping cybersecurity’s opportunities and risks. While organizations are using AI in cybersecurity to strengthen defenses, adversaries are just as quickly finding ways to weaponize these same tools. IT leaders need to understand how AI is changing threat tactics, elevating attack sophistication, and challenging traditional defense models.
The Dual-Use Nature of AI in Cybersecurity
During a recent WEI discussion, former Executive Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Brandon Wales, formeremphasizes that AI capabilities can be used for good and evil. It can help defenders improve detection and response, but it also gives adversaries new capabilities to scale operations and increase precision.
AI in cybersecurity has become a race between defenders and attackers. Wales noted that while AI-assisted defenders initially held an advantage, that edge is shrinking as threat actors adopt similar capabilities. Tools, including large language models, publicly available GenAI platforms, and open-source datasets, allow malicious actors to automate research, identify vulnerabilities, and create convincing phishing or social engineering content with minimal expertise.
Brandon explained even simple AI applications are transforming how threat actors operate. For instance, automation allows them to generate code variations or test malware against common defenses without extensive technical skill. As a result, the cybersecurity community must prepare for a future where AI-driven threats will become routine rather than exceptional.
Examples of AI-Driven Threats Emerging in the Field
- Phishing and Social Engineering at Scale
Wales highlighted that AI enables adversaries to dramatically scale traditional phishing campaigns. Instead of sending generic messages, they can create tailored and contextually relevant content using generative models. AI can mimic tone, grammar, and brand identity, producing emails and texts far more convincing to recipients. The use of these tools has increased the number of successful phishing intrusions across industries. - Automated Vulnerability Discovery
Another growing risk comes from AI’s ability to analyze large volumes of code and network data. Wales described how adversaries are using automation to discover vulnerabilities faster than defenders can patch them. What once required a team of skilled hackers can now be done through AI-enabled scanning and pattern recognition. The ability to locate exploitable weaknesses in real time is one of the most significant AI-driven threats facing enterprises today. - Malware Development and Adaptation
AI allows attackers to generate, test, and modify malware automatically. Wales noted this capability gives adversaries a persistent advantage because they can quickly alter malicious code to avoid signature-based detection. This new era of polymorphic and adaptive malware underscores the urgent need for organizations to advance their own AI threat detection technologies.
How AI Threat Detection Can Help Defenders Regain the Advantage
Although AI has made attacks more efficient, it also provides defenders with new methods to counter them. Wales encouraged enterprises to use AI threat detection tools that analyze network traffic patterns and identify anomalies humans may miss. These systems can process billions of data points in seconds, offering insights that would otherwise be impossible to surface manually.
However, AI-driven defense comes with its own challenges. As Wales cautioned, AI systems are only as good as the data and training behind them. Poor-quality data or biased inputs can lead to blind spots that attackers exploit. Moreover, adversaries are beginning to use AI to probe defensive models, identifying where machine learning tools make predictable errors.
To maintain a competitive edge, organizations should adopt layered approaches to AI in cybersecurity:
- Continuous learning models that update as threats evolve.
- Human oversight to interpret AI findings and investigate anomalies.
- Data governance frameworks to ensure training data is reliable, representative, and secure.
These strategies help strengthen AI threat detection while minimizing the risk of manipulation or false confidence.
Strategic Implications for Executive Leadership
Wales emphasized AI will not replace cybersecurity professionals but will redefine their roles. Security teams must evolve from manual detection to managing and validating AI-assisted analysis. Leadership must invest in both technology and workforce training to stay ahead of AI-driven threats.
He also noted that adversaries’ use of AI will not be limited to nation-states or well-funded groups. As AI becomes more accessible, even smaller criminal operations and inexperienced hacktivists can deploy these tools. This democratization of capability means the threat environment will expand in both volume and variety.
For decision-makers, this reality demands proactive planning. AI must be integrated across cybersecurity operations, risk assessments, and response protocols. Organizations delaying adaptation risk being outpaced by attackers who are already integrating automation and generative tools into their workflows.
Final Thoughts
AI is permanently altering the cybersecurity domain. Both defenders and adversaries now operate at machine speed, and the side using AI more effectively will dominate the digital battlefield. For enterprise IT leaders, the path forward involves balancing innovation with vigilance, investing in AI threat detection, and maintaining human expertise to interpret and act on complex insights.
WEI partners with organizations to build secure, intelligent infrastructures that anticipate and mitigate emerging cyber risks. Our experts help integrate AI responsibly into your security strategy while preparing your teams for the next generation of challenges. To learn how WEI can support your organization in defending against AI-driven threats, contact us today.
Next Steps: Led by WEI’s cybersecurity experts and partnering with industry leaders, our available cybersecurity assessments provide the insights needed to strengthen your defenses, optimize security investments, and ensure compliance. Whether you need to identify vulnerabilities, test your incident response capabilities, or develop a long-term security strategy, our team is here to help. Learn more by downloading our solution brief here.
