AI-Powered Cyberattacks Surge to Unprecedented Levels in 2025

Automated cyber threats have reached alarming new heights, with AI-powered attacks now scanning potential targets at a rate of 36,000 per second, according to recent research from Fortinet FortiGuard Labs. This represents a 16.7% increase from the previous year as cybercriminals leverage advanced AI tools that pose significant business risks.

The dramatic surge in attacks highlights a critical turning point in cybersecurity, where artificial intelligence is being weaponized at scale through the expanding cybercrime-as-a-service marketplace.

Rising Threat Landscape

The research reveals several concerning trends in the cyber threat landscape:

• Over 40,000 new CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) emerged in 2024, marking a 39% increase in exploit kits
• Credential dumps now contain more than 100 billion compromised records
• Infostealers saw a 500% year-over-year increase, exposing 1.7 billion credential records
• Underground forums experienced a 42% rise in shared compromised records

AI Tools Enabling Sophisticated Attacks

The emergence of advanced AI tools like FraudGPT and BlackmailerV3 has made cyberattacks increasingly sophisticated and harder to detect. These tools are particularly effective at generating convincing phishing attempts that can bypass traditional security measures.

"The rise of AI, combined with automation and cybercrime-as-a-service (CaaS), is increasing the sophistication, speed, and ultimately, the success of attacks," says Kris Bondi, CEO and Co-Founder of Mimoto. "The biggest risk AI brings to businesses is the ability for cybercrime to scale quickly."

Impact and Recommendations for Businesses

Organizations utilizing AI-powered cybersecurity solutions and defense strategies can protect themselves by:

1. Implementing comprehensive security strategies that go beyond perimeter defense
2. Assuming breach mentality and focusing on threat detection within systems
3. Staying current with evolving attack methods and AI-powered threats

The convergence of AI and cybercrime presents a formidable challenge for businesses. Traditional security approaches may no longer suffice as attacks become more sophisticated and automated. Organizations must adapt their security posture to address both external threats and potential internal compromises.

This information can be used by:

• Security professionals to update their defense strategies
• Business leaders to justify increased cybersecurity investments
• IT teams to implement more robust monitoring systems

Additional insight: Organizations should consider implementing AI-powered threat detection systems and regular security audits to stay ahead of evolving cyber threats.