ESET warns of AI-driven cyber threats and promotes active AI defense for SMEs

ESET reports that cybercriminals are increasingly using artificial intelligence to craft more convincing phishing lures, scale social‑engineering campaigns and speed up reconnaissance. Despite the hype, most incidents still stem from classic phishing links and unpatched vulnerabilities, which remain the primary failure points for organizations.

The firm identified the first AI‑written ransomware in 2025 and highlighted PromptSpy, the first known AI‑generated Android malware, as a proof‑of‑concept. ESET notes that widespread AI‑generated malware remains rare and that existing mitigation measures are still effective.

On the defensive side, ESET describes how specialized AI can enable active cyber defense, allowing systems to detect and neutralise intrusions within milliseconds. Spain is cited as advancing toward technological sovereignty in cybersecurity, using AI to protect critical infrastructure and reduce reliance on external cloud services. This shift aims to give defenders a speed‑of‑machine advantage, narrowing the traditional attacker‑defender asymmetry.