{"id":73643,"date":"2025-05-30T17:00:49","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T15:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/?p=73643"},"modified":"2025-05-30T17:01:54","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T15:01:54","slug":"ai-in-cybersecurity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/ai-in-cybersecurity\/","title":{"rendered":"AI in cybersecurity: How businesses can navigate cyber challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/category\/technology-innovation\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Technology &amp; Innovation<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAI in cybersecurity: How businesses can navigate cyber challenges\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-05-30T17:00:49+02:00\">May 30, 2025<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"AI in cybersecurity: How businesses can navigate cyber challenges\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/ai-in-cybersecurity\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/author\/eugeneyiga\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/Eugene-Yiga-Profile-Photo-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Profile photo of writer Eugene Yiga.\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Eugene Yiga<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>The cybersecurity landscape has transformed dramatically since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Artificial intelligence now plays a big role in both attack and defence strategies, creating what experts call a &#8220;digital arms race&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For small and medium businesses, understanding this evolving landscape is essential. In this article, we&#8217;ll help you to do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Here\u2019s what we\u2019ll cover:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><ul><li><a href=\"#h-the-rise-of-ai-powered-cyber-threats\" data-level=\"2\">The rise of AI-powered cyber threats<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-3-ai-threats-your-business-should-understand\" data-level=\"2\">3 AI threats your business should understand<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-why-your-small-business-might-be-vulnerable\" data-level=\"2\">Why your small business might be vulnerable<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-how-to-protect-your-business\" data-level=\"2\">How to protect your business<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-final-thoughts\" data-level=\"2\">Final thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-rise-of-ai-powered-cyber-threats\">The rise of AI-powered cyber threats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Today&#8217;s cybercriminals have sophisticated AI tools at their disposal. Instead of the obviously suspicious &#8220;Nigerian prince&#8221; emails of the past, attackers now deploy AI to craft personalised, grammatically perfect messages that can fool even the most vigilant employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;As society becomes fascinated with AI tools like ChatGPT, cybercriminals take advantage by maliciously leveraging this shiny new technology to its full potential, causing severe damage across organisations,&#8221; explains Carl Froggett,&nbsp;chief information officer&nbsp;of&nbsp;cybersecurity firm&nbsp;Deep Instinct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;To defend against AI-generated threats, you need the same calibre of response, using next-generation AI to stay one step ahead.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The numbers tell a sobering story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insurancebusinessmag.com\/us\/news\/cyber\/generative-ai-scams-hit-25-of-small-businesses-nationwide-survey-shows-507324.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recent data<\/a>, 25% of small business owners report being targeted by scams involving generative AI, such as AI-written emails or deepfake impersonations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These represent existential threats to your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-ai-threats-your-business-should-understand\">3 AI threats your business should understand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-enhanced-phishing-and-business-email-compromise\">1. Enhanced phishing and business email compromise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>AI tools have revolutionised phishing attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cybercriminals now use large language models to automatically generate convincing emails that sound professional and contextually relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These messages often lack the typos or odd phrasing that gave away scams in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-real-world-impact\">Real-world impact<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In October 2023, a family-owned business in Australia lost $1.2 million when their\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2023-10-15\/cyber-threats-hackers-steal-million-dollars-small-business\/102789994\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">accounts manager was duped<\/a>\u00a0by someone who perfectly mimicked a bank officer&#8217;s voice and knew recent payment details. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The theft nearly bankrupted the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-deepfake-scams-and-voice-cloning\">2. Deepfake scams and voice cloning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps the most alarming development is the rise of deepfakes\u2014artificial but realistic voices, images, or videos that impersonate real people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Voice cloning tools can recreate a person&#8217;s voice from just a few seconds of audio, while video deepfakes can superimpose someone&#8217;s face on to an imposter in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;AI voice cloning, now almost indistinguishable from human speech, allows threat actors to extract information and funds from victims more effectively,&#8221; warns Wasim Khaled, CEO of&nbsp;AI-driven risk and intelligence&nbsp;platform Blackbird.AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;With a small audio sample, an AI voice clone can be used to leave voicemails and texts\u2014even mimicking the speech patterns of loved ones.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-real-world-impact-0\">Real-world impact<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In January 2024, an employee at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scworld.com\/news\/deepfake-video-conference-convinces-employee-to-send-25m-to-scammers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a multinational firm was conned<\/a>\u00a0out of $25.6 million after joining what appeared to be a video conference with the company&#8217;s CFO. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The scammers used AI-generated video and audio to create convincing deepfakes of executives, who then instructed the employee to make the transfers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-ai-generated-malware-and-hacking-tools\">3. AI-generated malware and hacking tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond social engineering, attackers are using AI to write malware, find vulnerabilities, and automate hacking tasks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Custom AI tools such as &#8220;WormGPT&#8221; and &#8220;FraudGPT&#8221; are being sold on underground forums\u2014essentially ChatGPT-like models fine-tuned for cybercrime, with no ethical safeguards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-real-world-impact-1\">Real-world impact<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In mid-2024,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.securityweek.com\/ai-generated-malware-found-in-the-wild\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a phishing campaign<\/a>\u00a0was discovered carrying a malicious script that appeared to be AI-generated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The script, once executed, installed data-stealing malware onto the victim&#8217;s system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Security researchers noted this was an &#8220;evolutionary step&#8221; toward more fully AI-generated malware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-your-small-business-might-be-vulnerable\">Why your small business might be vulnerable<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Small businesses often lack dedicated security teams and enterprise-grade defences, making them particularly susceptible to AI-driven attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consider these challenges:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>AI scams evade basic training:<\/strong>\u00a0traditional advice to look for poor grammar or strange requests no longer works when AI-generated scams appear legitimate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Resource constraints:<\/strong>\u00a0keeping up with AI-enabled cyber threats requires resources that many small businesses simply don&#8217;t have.\u00a0Fewer than half of small businesses have cyber insurance, despite the growing risks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Trust and reputational damage:<\/strong>\u00a0if a scammer deepfakes your company&#8217;s CEO and tricks customers or partners, your reputation can suffer even though you were the victim.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-protect-your-business\">How to protect your business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While the threat landscape is evolving, you&#8217;re not powerless. Here are practical steps you can take to safeguard your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-implement-strong-verification-procedures\">1. Implement strong verification procedures<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Never rely solely on email, phone calls, or even video conferences to verify sensitive requests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Establish out-of-band verification protocols (a type of two-factor authentication) for financial transactions and data transfers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means using a different communication channel than the one where the request originated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The reality is that it is impossible to stop technology and human advancement once it&#8217;s already in motion,&#8221; notes Ofer Maor, co-founder and chief technology officer at cybersecurity company Mitiga. &#8220;The attackers are already building new ways to use this technology for attack and will not be influenced by any calls to slow down.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-educate-your-team-about-ai-threats\">2. Educate your team about AI threats<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Update your security awareness training to include the latest AI-powered threats. Teach employees to be sceptical of all requests for money or sensitive information, regardless of how legitimate they seem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consider implementing code words or phrases that only your actual team members would know, especially for authorising financial transactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-consider-ai-powered-defences\">3. Consider AI-powered defences<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Fight fire with fire by exploring AI-based security solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These tools can help detect phishing emails, identify deepfakes, and spot network anomalies faster than human analysts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s going to be necessary to deploy AI in defence to detect AI-generated phishing emails and malware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This defensive AI\u2014such as machine learning systems that flag content written by chatbots or identify when a voice doesn&#8217;t match known patterns\u2014could help level the playing field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-invest-in-cyber-insurance\">4. Invest in cyber insurance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Given the financial impact of successful attacks, cyber insurance is becoming a necessity rather than a luxury. Look for policies that specifically cover AI-related incidents, including social engineering fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-final-thoughts\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The integration of AI into both cyberattacks and cyber defence will only deepen in the coming years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For small businesses, continued education and adaptation are the keys to staying secure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By understanding how AI is being exploited by criminals and implementing robust countermeasures, your business can build resilience against these evolving threats.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice enewsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get a roundup of our best business advice in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-84fe79b5-668d-41f8-a0cc-6229018c4ac9\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>AI-powered cyberattacks are targeting small businesses in increasingly dangerous ways. Learn how to protect your company from these evolving threats.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1064,"featured_media":71366,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,29],"tags":[161,315,384,200,209],"business_type":[2],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[6,12,16],"imagine_tag":[68,83,73,397,85,86],"coauthors":[403],"class_list":["post-73643","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology-innovation","category-trends-insights","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-business-intelligence","tag-cloud-technology","tag-payment-security","tag-staying-competitive","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-za","author_name":"Eugene Yiga","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1408517180.jpg","imagine_tags":{"68":"Grow your business","83":"Growing business","73":"Money Matters","397":"Sage AI","85":"Small business","86":"Start up business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice South Africa","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73643","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1064"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73643"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73643\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/71366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73643"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73643"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=73643"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=73643"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=73643"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=73643"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=73643"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=73643"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=73643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}