Artificial Intelligence is not necessarily creating new forms of crime, but it acts as a powerful accelerator that increases the speed, scale, and persuasiveness of existing cyberattacks. This is the central warning from Interpol, urging businesses to rethink their strategy in a landscape that is becoming increasingly industrialized.
Evolution, Not Revolution
Speaking at Tech Week Singapore, Bjørn R. Vatne, Interpol's Global Chief Information Security Officer, described the use of AI in cybercrime as an "evolution and not a revolution." The most significant change lies in the ability of criminals to target thousands of victims simultaneously through automated phishing, deepfakes, and synthetic identities that convincingly mimic human communication patterns.
The 'Crown Jewels' Strategy
Interpol advises companies against trying to protect everything equally. Instead, the first step is identifying their "crown jewels" — the critical systems and data without which the business cannot function. Utilizing threat intelligence allows organizations to understand who their likely adversaries are and tailor their defenses accordingly.
Agentic AI: The Risk of Autonomous Action
Of particular concern is the development of agentic AI. Unlike traditional systems that merely generate information, AI agents can execute actions autonomously, such as using applications and making decisions. This risk now extends to the physical world; as AI integrates into vehicles and industrial systems, a breach could lead to erroneous actions with consequences for physical safety.
"It's one thing for an AI to give you the wrong information, and another for it to perform an action and start doing the wrong things, especially in the physical world," Vatne noted.
The Boardroom Gap
Despite rising risks, Interpol points out that cybersecurity is often not fully integrated into boardroom strategies. Many industries have yet to realize that their dependence on cloud services and AI effectively makes them technology companies, where the failure of a critical digital system translates directly into a business crisis.
