Prioritize phishing-resistant multifactor authentication (MFA), prompt patching of known exploited vulnerabilities, least privilege, protected logging with alerts, tested backups, and staff training for synthetic and personalized deception. These controls protect common points of entry, privilege, detection, and recovery; AI can make attacks faster or more convincing, but it does not make those defenses irrelevant.
What counts as an AI-assisted attack?
The phrase covers two related risks. Attackers may use AI to improve conventional attacks, such as making phishing more convincing or scaling parts of an operation. Separately, adversaries may target AI and machine-learning systems themselves. The controls below primarily address the first category and the security fundamentals around it; organizations that build or deploy AI also need to assess risks to their models, data, and system components.
NIST’s initial preliminary draft of its Cyber AI Profile, published December 16, 2025, describes AI-assisted spear-phishing using more realistic email, audio, or video, as well as hyper-realistic malicious websites and links. It characterizes AI as potentially improving attack speed and scale, lowering effort, and helping develop attack paths or malware. These are qualitative threat descriptions, not measurements of how common or successful such attacks are.
1. Require phishing-resistant MFA
Protect email, VPN and other remote access, administrator accounts, and sensitive systems first. Prefer FIDO/WebAuthn authentication, such as a security key, where the service supports it. CISA’s “More than a Password” guidance states: “The only widely available phishing-resistant authentication is FIDO/WebAuthn authentication.” That is CISA’s characterization of widely available options, not a claim that every deployment context has no other possible phishing-resistant method.
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A key works only with compatible services, so check service and device support before choosing a method. Plan a secure account-recovery route as well as deployment and user-support needs. Where phishing-resistant MFA is not yet available, number matching is an interim improvement over basic push approval, according to CISA’s “Require Multifactor Authentication” guidance.
What to compare
- Whether the method resists phishing and is supported by the services and devices in use.
- How account recovery works and what support deployment will require.
- Whether administrators can enforce the method centrally, especially for privileged accounts.
2. Patch known exploited vulnerabilities and exposed systems
Prioritize vulnerabilities known to be exploited and systems exposed to the internet. Keep operating systems, applications, firmware, browsers, and security tools current. CISA’s “#StopRansomware Guide” recommends patching as part of defense against ransomware and related threats.
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AI may shorten the time attackers need to find or exploit weaknesses, but the cited guidance does not establish a universal AI-specific patch deadline. Set urgency according to exposure and known exploitation rather than treating every update as equally risky or assuming a single deadline fits every environment.
3. Limit privileges and unnecessary accounts
Use least privilege and role-based access so accounts have only the permissions needed for their work. Separate privileged accounts from routine user accounts, remove inactive or unnecessary accounts, and review permissions. Restrict administrative interfaces and remote access. CISA’s “Enhanced Visibility and Hardening Guidance for Communications Infrastructure” includes least privilege and account monitoring among its recommended practices.
4. Log activity, alert, and investigate
Logging helps only when the organization can identify suspicious activity and act on it. Enable relevant identity, administrator, endpoint, network, cloud, and application logs; centralize them; and alert on events such as failed logins or privilege escalation. Protect records from tampering or deletion, and assign people to review and investigate alerts. CISA’s “Use Logging on Business Systems” guidance emphasizes centralized logging, high-risk alerts, review, and log protection.
What to compare
- Which identity, endpoint, network, and cloud events are covered.
- How logs are protected and retained, and who triages alerts.
- Whether the organization has the capacity to investigate alerts in a timely way.
5. Keep backups that can be restored
Maintain offline or otherwise isolated backups, and regularly test restoration. Restrict backup access and protect backup administration with strong authentication so a compromised account cannot readily destroy both production data and recovery copies. CISA’s “#StopRansomware Guide” recommends backups and recovery preparation.
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What to compare
- How isolated backups are from production credentials and systems.
- Whether restoration tests cover critical data and meet recovery needs.
- Who can administer or delete backup copies.
6. Train people to verify synthetic and personalized requests
Training should cover suspicious requests arriving through email, messaging, voice, or video. Teach staff to independently verify payment or credential requests using a trusted route rather than relying on the message or caller, and provide a clear way to report suspicious activity. NIST’s December 2025 draft calls for updated, integrated personnel training and says automated defenses should bolster email and authentication security. Training complements those technical safeguards; it is not a substitute for them.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Organizations using AI need an additional risk review
If your organization builds or deploys AI, assess risks to the models, data, and components in those systems in addition to protecting conventional accounts and infrastructure. NIST AI 100-2 E2025, a final report published March 24, 2025, provides a taxonomy of adversarial machine-learning attacks and discusses mitigations. A taxonomy helps organize the risks; it does not promise that any one mitigation eliminates them. NIST’s Cyber AI Profile, by contrast, was an initial preliminary draft as of December 16, 2025, so treat its detailed AI-specific recommendations as draft guidance, not settled requirements.
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What the evidence does not establish
The official sources cited here do not provide a suitable named statistic for the prevalence, growth, or comparative effectiveness of AI-assisted cyberattacks. NIST’s preliminary draft describes the area as evolving and notes that many attacks may go undetected as adversary use becomes better understood. That is not a basis for a percentage or a claim that AI-assisted attacks are more successful than other attacks.
The guidance also does not establish that every organization needs a particular commercial AI security product. Choose controls according to exposed services, account privileges, recovery needs, and the capacity to operate and monitor them.
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