Artificial intelligence (AI) is moving rapidly from experimentation into the operational core of the economy. Systems that once analyzed information are now guiding decisions, executing\u00a0tasks\u00a0and interacting with other digital systems with minimal human oversight. This shift is transforming not only how businesses\u00a0operate\u00a0but also how they must think about security, governance and risk.<\/p>\n
A new national report released this week by the Canadian Cybersecurity Network,\u00a0The\u00a0<\/em>State of AI, Cybersecurity and Digital Trust in Canada<\/i>, argues that the convergence of AI and cybersecurity will be one of the defining business challenges of the next decade. Launched at the NGen Advanced Manufacturing Conference in Toronto, the report makes clear that AI is reshaping the threat landscape on both sides of the equation,\u00a0fuelling\u00a0faster, more adaptive\u00a0cyberattacks\u00a0while also\u00a0emerging\u00a0as one of the most potent defensive technologies organizations have ever had at their disposal.<\/p>\n AI\u00a0is\u00a0accelerating the\u00a0threat\u00a0landscape<\/b><\/p>\n Across sectors, organizations are embedding AI into products, workflows and decision making at unprecedented speed. At the same time, cybercriminals are using the same technology to increase the speed and sophistication of their attacks.<\/p>\n Generative AI can now produce convincing phishing campaigns, automate\u00a0reconnaissance\u00a0and even create deepfake impersonations of executives or employees. In many\u00a0cases,\u00a0the tactics themselves are not new. What has changed is the speed,\u00a0scale\u00a0and realism of the attacks.<\/p>\n Global incident data examined in the report shows that synthetic text used in malicious emails has doubled in recent years. Cybercriminal groups are also beginning to use large language models to support malware development, vulnerability\u00a0discovery\u00a0and increasingly sophisticated fraud campaigns.<\/p>\n