In its latest study titled “Cyber defense & AI: Are you ready to protect your organisation?”, Kaspersky gathered insights from IT and Information Security professionals across SMEs and large enterprises. The research reveals a growing sense of urgency among businesses to prepare for AI-driven cyber threats, with 19% of respondents globally and 23% in the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region stating they have considerable gaps in their cyber protection. The study also explores barriers to achieving effective cybersecurity and the dire consequences of failing to adapt.

Despite understanding the risks, businesses face significant obstacles in building robust cybersecurity. According to the study, 44% of organisations globally and 50% in the META region cite the lack of AI-related cybersecurity training for employees as a critical issue. Another 44% globally and 48% in META point to the complexity of managing cybersecurity infrastructure, which makes it harder to stay ahead of attackers. The shortage of advanced tools is another key challenge. Nearly 43% of respondents globally and 46% in META admitted that their organisations lack modern AI-powered cybersecurity solutions, while 41% globally and 44% in META struggle with lack of information from external experts about the evolving AI-related threat landscape. Additionally, 39% globally and 37% in META experience the scarcity of qualified InfoSec professionals, leaving the businesses vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated threats.

The consequences of failing to adapt are severe and wide-ranging. More than half of surveyed professionals (58% globally and 59% in META) fear unpreparedness could result in confidential data leaks, while 52% globally anticipate a loss of customer trust (55% in META) and significant financial losses (54% in META), including stock value drops and loss of business opportunities. Reputational damage is a concern for 47% of respondents globally (54% in META), who worry about the long-term fallout from a cyberattack. Other potential consequences include financial penalties (33% globally and 44% in META), investor withdrawal (31% globally and 38% in META), lawsuits (29% globally and 36% in META), and even partial business closures (23% globally and 20% in META).

“The rise of AI-driven cyberattacks marks a turning point in the cybersecurity landscape. Organisations must act now to fortify their defenses. This includes investing in AI-powered tools, training employees to recognise threats related to AI, development and implementation of cybersecurity controls for products and services with AI. Failure to adapt could lead to significant financial, operational, and reputational damage. Preparedness is not just an option – it’s a necessity in this new era of cyber threats,” said Alexey Vovk, Information Security Director at Kaspersky.

To protect the business against AI-enabled cyberthreats, Kaspersky recommends:

    Ensure that every level and element of your IT network is protected with solid, multi-layered protective solutions. Kaspersky solutions starting with Kaspersky Next product line, all have advanced AI technologies under the hood designed to automatically block emerging threats.
    By leveraging the best cybersecurity expertise, you can detect and contain complex, focused attacks which increase in sophistication as AI tools help attackers to launch more precise targeted attacks. If you lack this expertise in-house, Kaspersky Managed Detection & Response together with online and live Kaspersky Cybersecurity Training are strong options that bolster your in-house skills.
    Turn your office workforce into an extra layer of defense with the Kaspersky Automated Security Awareness Platform, which instils cybersafe behaviour. It includes specialised sections dedicated to AI-assisted threats and safe use of AI tools, helping to avoid the risks associated with the growing proliferation of AI tools.
    Initiate a discussion about AI-related topics in cybersecurity, now available on the Kaspersky Support Forum’s AI Technology Research section. You can also explore Kaspersky’s extensive resources available on the Kaspersky Daily AI section, Kaspersky’s BrightTalk channel, and YouTube videos, where many of your AI-related questions may already be answered.

To see the full report “Cyber defense & AI: Are you ready to protect your organisation?”, please follow the link.

About Kaspersky

Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. With over a billion devices protected to date from emerging cyberthreats and targeted attacks, Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection, specialized security products and services, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. We help over 200,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.co.za.