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   'Weaponized AI' could be the biggest security threat facing your business    
   this year - here's what experts say you should be on the lookout for   
      
   Date:   
   Sat, 24 Jan 2026 17:05:00 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   AI-driven cybercrime is escalating rapidly, combining phishing, deepfakes,    
   and Dark LLMs, forcing businesses to strengthen defences and monitoring   
   systems.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   Artificial intelligence is now used by cybercriminals to automate fraud,    
   scale phishing campaigns, and industrialize impersonation at a level that was   
   previously impractical.    
      
   Unfortunately, AI-assisted attacks could be among the biggest security    
   threats your business faces this year, but staying aware and acting promptly   
   can keep you a step ahead.    
      
   Group-IBs Weaponized AI report shows the growing use of AI by criminals   
   represents a distinct fifth wave of cybercrime, driven by the commercial   
   availability of AI tools rather than isolated experimentation.   
      
   Rise in AI-driven cybercrime activity   
      
   Evidence from dark web monitoring shows that AI-related cybercrime activity    
   is not a short-term response to new technologies.    
      
   Group-IB says first-time dark web posts referencing AI-related keywords   
   increased by 371% between 2019 and 2025. The most pronounced acceleration   
   followed the public release of ChatGPT in late 2022, after which interest   
   levels remained persistently high.   
      
   By 2025, tens of thousands of forum discussions each year referenced AI   
   misuse, indicating a stable underground market rather than experimental   
   curiosity.    
      
   Group-IB analysts identified at least 251 posts explicitly focused on large   
   language model exploitation, with most references linked to OpenAI-based   
   systems.    
      
   A structured AI crimeware economy has emerged, with at least three vendors   
   offering self-hosted Dark LLMs without safety restrictions. Subscription   
   prices range from $30 to $200 per month, with some vendors claiming more than   
   1,000 users.   
      
   One of the fastest-growing segments is impersonation services, with mentions   
   of deepfake tools linked to identity verification bypass rising by 233% year   
   on year. Entry-level synthetic identity kits are sold for as little as $5,   
   while real-time deepfake platforms cost between $1,000 and $10,000.   
      
   Group-IB recorded 8,065 deepfake-enabled fraud attempts at a single   
   institution between January and August 2025, with verified global losses   
   reaching $347 million.    
      
   AI-assisted malware and API abuse have grown sharply, with AI-generated   
   phishing now embedded in malware-as-a-service platforms and remote access   
   tools.    
      
   Experts warn that AI-powered attacks can bypass traditional defenses unless   
   teams continuously monitor and update systems. Networks need protection from   
   firewalls that can identify unusual traffic and AI-generated phishing attempts.   
      
   With appropriate endpoint protection , companies can detect suspicious   
   activity before malware or remote access tools spread.    
      
   Rapid and adaptive malware removal remains critical because AI-enabled    
   attacks can execute and propagate faster than standard methods can respond.    
   Combined with a layered security approach and anomaly detection, these   
   measures help stop intrusions such as deepfake calls, cloned voices, and fake   
   login attempts.    
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/pro/weaponized-ai-could-be-the-biggest-security-thre   
   at-facing-your-business-this-year-heres-what-experts-say-you-should-be-on-the-   
   lookout-for   
      
   $$   
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