Nortons latest cyber threat analysis warns of a dramatic rise in AI-powered cybercrime, highlighting an urgent need for adaptive security measures, SecurityBrief United Kingdom reports.
Based on the Gen Threat Report for early 2025, global personal data breaches jumped 186%, while phishing incidents rose by 466%, with scammers now using AI to craft sophisticated deception campaigns. In the UK, data breaches surged by over 36% as attackers shifted from mass intrusions to highly targeted schemes. Particularly alarming was the exposure of 1.19 million records with plaintext passwords, giving criminals direct access to sensitive accounts. The report also flagged a 1,700% spike in fake browser update scams and a sharp increase in scam-yourself attacks, where users are tricked into infecting their own devices using AI-generated personas and deepfakes. Mobile financial threats intensified as malware exploited accessibility features, and phishing tactics evolved to mimic legitimate portals. Norton emphasizes that stopping these threats requires cyber tools that can outpace the rapidly changing tactics of AI-enabled adversaries.
Based on the Gen Threat Report for early 2025, global personal data breaches jumped 186%, while phishing incidents rose by 466%, with scammers now using AI to craft sophisticated deception campaigns. In the UK, data breaches surged by over 36% as attackers shifted from mass intrusions to highly targeted schemes. Particularly alarming was the exposure of 1.19 million records with plaintext passwords, giving criminals direct access to sensitive accounts. The report also flagged a 1,700% spike in fake browser update scams and a sharp increase in scam-yourself attacks, where users are tricked into infecting their own devices using AI-generated personas and deepfakes. Mobile financial threats intensified as malware exploited accessibility features, and phishing tactics evolved to mimic legitimate portals. Norton emphasizes that stopping these threats requires cyber tools that can outpace the rapidly changing tactics of AI-enabled adversaries.
