AI enabled cyber attacks almost doubled in 2025, says CrowdStrike

AI-enabled cyber-attacks have nearly doubled in the last year, with CrowdStrike warning that threat actors are using machine learning and Large Language Models to optimise attack techniques and campaigns. According to the CrowdStrike Global Threat Report 2026, there was an 89% increase in attacks by “AI-enabled adversaries” in 2025 when compared with the previous year.

The report notes that attackers used AI to aid social engineering, malware development, and disinformation campaigns, including writing phishing emails in multiple languages to improve plausibility and speed.

It highlights a campaign attributed to the Chinese intelligence service that used AI to create credible looking consulting firms targeting former US government employees for recruitment and intelligence gathering, and a Russian-based operation dubbed Renaissance Spider using AI tools to boost the credibility of phishing emails aimed at Ukrainian-speaking targets.

The guidance from CrowdStrike emphasises developing clear incident response responsibilities and business continuity plans, with protections such as strong identity verification procedures, AI-focused security awareness training, and threat intelligence monitoring.