Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity: How it is transforming attacks and digital defence

December 18, 2025

What is Artificial Intelligence and how does it relate to cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity has become one of the top strategic priorities for organisations and users, driven by the rapid digitalisation of processes and the increasing sophistication of cyber threats. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is profoundly reshaping this landscape, offering new defensive capabilities while simultaneously introducing challenges that cannot be overlooked. In Portugal, the use of AI to strengthen cybersecurity is already part of the technological modernisation strategy embraced by many companies.

AI simulates human cognitive abilities such as learning, reasoning and decision-making, encompassing domains like Machine Learning (which identifies patterns from large datasets) and Generative AI (able to create content such as text, audio, or images). In practice, AI is present in solutions like chatbots, automated fraud detection mechanisms, and advanced network behaviour analysis systems.

How Artificial Intelligence is enhancing cyber defence

In recent years, AI has transformed the work of security teams. One of the most notable changes has occurred in threat detection. Modern algorithms can analyse network-wide behaviour, identify anomalies, and detect signs of attack that do not match previously known patterns. This behavioural analysis significantly reduces response times and increases the effectiveness of incident prevention.

Incident response automation is another major advancement. There are already solutions capable of automatically isolating compromised devices, blocking accounts with suspicious activity, or executing containment measures without waiting for human intervention. This reduces the risk of error and frees teams to focus on more complex and strategic tasks.

AI is also playing a crucial role in risk prediction. By correlating trends, traffic flows, and historical data, it can anticipate potentially dangerous behaviours and recommend preventive measures. This shifts organisations away from a purely reactive posture and towards a predictive and proactive security model.

How Artificial Intelligence is being used in cybercrime

While AI strengthens defence, it also empowers cybercriminals with new capabilities. A clear example is AI-generated phishing attacks, which produce highly convincing and personalised messages, making fraud attempts harder to detect.

Deepfakes represent another escalating threat: manipulated videos or audio recordings that depict individuals saying or doing things that never occurred. This technique is increasingly used in social engineering attacks, enabling extortion schemes, manipulation attempts, or business fraud.

Key risks of adopting Artificial Intelligence in cybersecurity

Despite its advantages, the adoption of AI in digital security introduces risks that organisations must carefully consider.

One of the most debated risks is overreliance on automated systems. Although highly sophisticated, these systems remain vulnerable to failure. An algorithmic error can interrupt critical services or overlook a real attack, generating a false sense of security.

Bias in data is another significant concern. Models trained with incomplete or unrepresentative data may produce inaccurate decisions, which is particularly dangerous in security contexts where every action may have substantial operational consequences.

Privacy risks also increase. Many AI systems depend on collecting and analysing large volumes of data, including personal information. Any misconfiguration, human error, or security breach may expose sensitive data.

Finally, AI models themselves may become targets. Through specific attack techniques, criminals can inject malicious data, exploit vulnerabilities, or mislead the model into making incorrect decisions.

How companies and users should prepare

For organisations, preparation involves defining clear policies for AI usage, carrying out regular audits, and continuously testing model robustness. Staff training is essential: teams must understand both the potential and the limitations of AI technologies. Zero Trust approaches, where nothing is trusted by default, become even more relevant when combined with intelligent mechanisms that monitor behaviours in real time.

Transparency and explainability of AI models will also be critical to ensuring responsible adoption, especially in scenarios where decisions directly impact operations or users.

For everyday users, digital literacy remains the strongest defence. Recognising manipulated content, verifying identities in sensitive situations, and keeping devices updated are essential practices for safe and responsible online behaviour.

Future trends: where is Artificial Intelligence in cybersecurity heading?

The future of cybersecurity will increasingly be shaped by the evolution of AI. Growing investment is expected in autonomous agents capable of monitoring networks, detecting threats, and acting almost in real time, reducing the need for direct human intervention.

Integration with Zero Trust architectures will gain greater relevance, creating environments where every action is continuously verified. At the same time, access to advanced security tools is expected to become more widespread, enabling small and medium-sized enterprises to adopt capabilities previously reserved for larger organisations.

From a regulatory and ethical standpoint, Portugal and the European Union will continue to reinforce standards that promote safe, transparent, and responsible AI usage, particularly in critical environments.