Turning the tables on AI-powered cyber warfare

By Nadir Izrael, Co-Founder and CTO, Armis

Source: Armis. Izrael.

The threat of cyber warfare has escalated, and government and business alike need a more robust and proactive approach to cyberdefence.

Research from Armis revealed that 87% of IT decision-makers expressed concern about the impact of cyberwarfare, up from just 54% a year ago. This is against a backdrop of an expanding attack surface, with a projected 50 billion connected devices by the end of 2025, alongside growing global instability. Yet, the biggest driver behind this change is inexplicably linked to AI.

The key to effective preparation lies in the very tool being used against us.

Getting ahead of AI-powered cyberattacks

The news cycle constantly highlights how AI is rapidly supercharging the capabilities of nation- state attackers, cybercriminal groups and bad actors alike. Yet, those threats are already slipping through the cracks. Armis research found that a staggering 85% of IT leaders admit that offensive techniques regularly bypass their existing security tools. Additionally, as IT and operational technology (OT) environments become more connected, the illusion of isolated ‘air- gapped’ systems offering foolproof protection is fading fast. AI cyberthreats are bypassing traditional barriers as organisations integrate IT and OT systems for efficiency, unintentionally exposing new attack surfaces.

AI may be the weapon of choice for attackers, but it’s also the most powerful tool defenders have at their disposal. When harnessed effectively, AI-driven threat intelligence transforms security from a reactive scramble to a proactive strategy, offering organisations the chance to get ahead of threats rather than chase them.

Predictive AI models can help neutralise threats before they escalate, while AI-powered solutions allow security teams to continuously monitor the entire attack surface – across networks, endpoints, connected devices and OT environments. AI excels at processing vast amounts of data and identifying subtle patterns human analysts might miss, flagging early indicators of compromise across both the surface and dark web. Consider the difference it would make to have two months’ notice to act on an issue like Log4j, or to shut down a vulnerability like the Chrome Mojo sandbox bypass before it’s exploited.

But to truly stay ahead, organisations must shift their mindset. In this new AI-driven cyberwarfare landscape, reacting after the fact is no longer an option. Defenders must match the speed and sophistication of attackers, embracing AI not as a bolt-on tool but as the backbone of their security strategy.

Key recommendations include:

 Shifting from reactive to proactive security – 58% of organisations still respond to attacks only after they occur. Security teams must implement predictive AI models, early warning systems, and real-time anomaly detection to pre-empt threats across IT, OT, and Internet of Things (IoT) environments be they virtual or cloud based.

 Investing in AI-driven threat intelligence – Organisations need visibility into emerging threats across both the surface and dark web. AI can provide continuous monitoring, adaptive risk assessments, and automated response mechanisms in ways that traditional security simply cannot match.

 Closing the AI expertise gap – Half of IT leaders acknowledge a lack of AI security expertise. Upskilling teams, leveraging AI-driven security platforms, and automating threat hunting across all asset types—including the cloud and software applications—must be top priorities.

 Adopting a Zero Trust approach – With AI enabling increasingly sophisticated identity- based attacks, Zero Trust architectures—where no user, device, or application is inherently trusted—are an absolute must.

In a digital environment where geopolitics, cyberwarfare and AI innovation are increasingly intertwined, organisations that fail to evolve will find themselves outpaced, outmanoeuvred and overtaken by AI-driven threats. AI is simply blurring the line between conventional warfare and digital conflict.

The only way to secure the advantage is to embrace proactive, intelligent and adaptive security strategies, fuelled by AI, turning it from a risk into an asset. Passively watching those same alarming headlines and hoping the next attack won’t land closer to home is no longer an option. Security leaders need AI to defeat AI.