Trend Capability uplift letting opportunistic actors scale cyber attacks

Summary

In the short term, the report expects capability uplift from AI or commercially available cyber intrusion tools to let opportunistic actors rapidly boost their attack capabilities. As a result, the damage from cyber attacks could become more severe and spread more widely. The National Cyber Security Centre has likewise judged that AI will almost certainly raise the volume and impact of attacks over the next two years. Because lower barriers to offensive tools give organised crime groups and terrorists capabilities they did not previously have, this risk connects to other chronic risks. The report considers businesses lacking investment in cyber defence and training to be particularly exposed to such attacks and their costs.