// INDUSTRY INSIGHT //
THE RISE OF AI-DRIVEN CYBERTHREATS: WHAT MID-MARKET BUSINESSES SHOULD KNOW
Cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and SMEs are not immune from these attacks. Adriaan Bekker, CISO & Microsoft Services Director, Softwerx, says that AI is not the root cause of these attacks but the technology is being used to amplify the breaches. He explains what midmarket organisations need to do to address the threat.
I is becoming a powerful tool
A on both sides of the digital battlefield. While malicious actors are weaponising AI to bypass traditional security measures, ushering in a new era of risk for mid-market organisations, it can also be harnessed to strengthen defences and outsmart evolving threats.
2025 has already seen a wave of devastating cyberattacks across the UK, many of which were powered by AI. Marks & Spencer suffered a six-week operational shutdown following a ransomware breach initiated through an AI-enhanced phishing attack on a thirdparty IT contractor. In one notable case criminals used AI-generated voice technology to impersonate a London-based executive, successfully convincing an employee to transfer thousands of pounds to a fraudulent account. And then there’ s the emergence of ransomware strains like BlackMatter, an evolution of DarkSide that demonstrates
//
WITH REGULATORY PRESSURES MOUNTING AND THE COST OF BREACHES RISING, CYBERSECURITY MUST BECOME A BOARD- LEVEL PRIORITY FOR MID- MARKET FIRMS
Intelligent SME. tech
35