The Importance of Cybersecurity in the Era of A.I.

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has begun to spring up all over in our modern society. Today, we have chatbots that answer questions, apps that suggest what to watch, and even tools to create images and stories. As amazing as it seems, AI's integration into our everyday lives carries lots of risks. As AI continues to get smarter and faster, so do hackers, cyber-criminals, and bad actors. That's why the way you protect yourself and your information online is more important today than ever. Here, we will explore the importance of cybersecurity, how AI poses a risk to security, as well as some solutions to counter these threats.

‍

The Importance of Cybersecurity

The ever-growing online presence of individuals and corporations today means security is now more important than ever. Many people elect to store their information online rather than physically. As society becomes more and more reliant on technology, the risk of attacks resulting in data breaches and identity theft increase. So, how can we better protect ourselves and our information on the Internet?

‍

Cybersecurity is defined as 'the practice of protecting and recovering computer systems, networks, and programs from any type of cyber attack.' The goal is to ensure confidentiality and integrity of online information. In other words, we want our information to be both safe and accurate. The best cybersecurity practice is pro-activity. This means taking action to protect yourself before any problems arise in an effort to prevent future problems.

‍

The rise of AI has presented a major issue for cybersecurity and IT professionals. Today, AI is being utilized by both security teams as well as hackers and bad actors in a tug-of-war. This tussle for online safety has completely turned on its head, thanks to the implementation of AI into common cyber attacks.

‍

Threats Using AI

AI is being used by hackers and bad actors to commit more effective and dangerous attacks. Some of the common threats seen today include Deepfakes, Social Engineering, and Malware.

• Deepfakes: A Deepfake attack uses AI to both fabricate and manipulate multimedia content. For example, a bad actor can create a convincing video of you saying something you never said before. All the user needs is an image or video of you, and a recording of your voice. AI is then trained on this data to generate a 'Deepfake' of you. The combination of realistic motion and matching sound makes these very believable to the untrained eye. Deepfakes are used for blackmail, impersonation, and spreading disinformation. A strong example of a Deepfake is of famous actor Morgan Freeman from 2022. Deepfakes ask the question: Can you believe everything you see?
  

• Social Engineering: Have you ever received a message that almost seemed too good to be true? A text promising a reward for clicking a link? An email asking you to change your password, despite never requesting one? These are common social engineering tactics. Social engineering focuses on tricking a person to gain access to their online accounts. After seeing some common social engineering attacks, many people will ask, "Who would fall for these?" The answer? Anyone. With AI, bad actors can collect and interpret data from your social media and public records. This interpreted data helps generate and send a specially-tailored message to you or any person that the hacker wants, making it seem more believable. Common types of Social Engineering include Phishing, Baiting, and Tailgaiting.
  

• Malware: Malware is the general term for a virus, coming from the term ‘Malicious Software.’ While many computers today come with their own form of protection, imagine a virus that could adapt to and work around that protection. This is, in a sense, how AI-powered malware works. Using AI, a program can identify holes in a system and craft targeted attacks. Malware that can adapt to and learn from its environment makes it tricky to detect and respond to.

While Deepfakes are a relatively new attack method, social engineering and malware have existed for much longer. The main threat that AI brings in combination with these types of attacks is automation and precision. Information can be pulled, gathered, and analyzed at the snap of a finger. Thousands of personalized emails can be sent to people at the same time. Malware can learn to predict security responses, staying one step ahead of our ability to fight back. These attacks were already harmful before, but the integration of AI has made them even stronger.

‍

Fighting Against Risk

Despite the threats that bad actors can pose when using AI, you can help to decrease these risks. Below are some strategies you can use to better protect yourself and your data online.

• Use a password manager: Third-party password managers such as 1Password or LastPass store your passwords in a secure 'vault'. Often, these services will also generate secure passwords for you. This reduces the risk of an attacker compromising your passwords.
• Set up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): MFA is a form of identity verification. It requires two devices to give the go-ahead for a user to sign in to an online service. With MFA, even if one device is compromised, an attacker cannot gain full access to your personal data. Learn more about Multi-Factor Authentication.
• Update software regularly: Companies that produce software roll out updates to their services. Oftentimes, these updates fix known vulnerabilities in the software. This ensures that the product they sell is in its most efficient and secure state. Be sure to check for updates on a consistent basis.
• Learn to Identify Social Engineering: Emails from unknown senders should always be treated with suspicion. There are many online resources on how to detect social engineering attacks. Taking the time to review these resources yourself is the first step to preventing these attacks.

You will likely notice that nothing was mentioned about combating Deepfakes. On an individual level, being aware that Deepfakes exist is a solid first step. More good news is that many services, such as social media, have deployed AI to 'flag' potential AI-generated content. It seems that many companies adopted the stance of "Fight Fire with Fire" when it comes to AI.

‍

Wrapping Up

In the era of AI, cybersecurity has become more important than ever. While there is no guarantee of protecting your data, there are a multitude of things you can do to ensure your data is safe. Being proactive about your online safety is the number one solution. Continue to read and learn from verifiable resources, but remember to ask yourself: Can you truly believe everything you see?

‍

Read More: 

Hinojosa, G. (2025, January 16). What is baiting in cybersecurity: Definition & introduction. What Is Baiting in Cybersecurity: Definition & Introduction. https://www.cobalt.io/blog/cybersecurity-baiting-definition-introuduction 

‍

MacCarthy, M., Susan M. Collins, B. P. B., Lee, N. T., Engler, A., Villasenor, J., Galston, W. A., Gregory S. Dawson, K. C. D., & Sorelle Friedler, A. D. S. (2022, March 9). Artificial Intelligence, deepfakes, and the uncertain future of truth. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/artificial-intelligence-deepfakes-and-the-uncertain-future-of-truth/ 

‍

McAfee. (2022, October 21). What are tailgating attacks and how to protect yourself from them. McAfee Blog. https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/internet-security/what-are-tailgating-attacks/ 

‍

Staff, B. (2024, October 11). How to recognize and avoid phishing scams. Consumer Advice. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-avoid-phishing-scams 

‍

Tunggal, A. T. (2025, July 2). Why is cybersecurity important?: Upguard. RSS. https://www.upguard.com/blog/cybersecurity-important 

‍

University, E.-C. (2025, February 6). Cybersecurity threats in the age of ai. eccuedu. https://www.eccu.edu/blog/cybersecurity-age-artificial-intelligence/ 

‍

What is cybersecurity?: CISA. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA. (2025, August 20). https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/what-cybersecurity 

‍

What is malware? - definition and examples. Cisco. (2025, July 14). https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/learn/topics/security/what-is-malware.html 

‍

What is: Multi-Factor Authentication. Microsoft Support. (n.d.). https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/what-is-multifactor-authentication-e5e39437-121c-be60-d123-eda06bddf661