Security experts have warned of a serious escalation in digital threats during 2025, stressing that artificial intelligence tools have made cyberattacks more accurate and convincing, and have targeted ordinary users directly through sophisticated deception methods that are difficult to distinguish from the real ones.
According to a CNET report, AI-powered social engineering techniques - such as mimicking voices and creating fake photos and videos - are enabling attackers to compromise accounts or blackmail victims with messages and calls that appear to come from family members or trusted authorities.
Password reuse and the proliferation of leaked user data online increase the likelihood of account compromise, while ransomware remains a significant threat to personal and organizational data. Telecommunications companies have also become a target for attackers through "SIM-pulls," which allow control of phone numbers and the resetting of associated passwords.
Increased risks include malicious ads that infect devices without the user clicking on a link, vulnerabilities in cloud applications, and data leaks resulting from third-party hacks. Experts have also warned that smart home devices can become breach points due to weak settings and default passwords.
The report recommends users to take urgent preventive steps, most notably using strong and unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication via certified security keys, updating devices and routers continuously, segmenting the home internet, and avoiding sharing personal information on public platforms. He also called for creating regular data backups, disabling automatic connection to public Wi-Fi networks, and ensuring the safety of links and advertisements before clicking on them.
Experts emphasized that these basic but simple measures can prevent a large percentage of the growing number of cyberattacks, as hacking groups exploit AI to enhance their capabilities and hide their digital footprints.
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