AI is lowering the bar for attackers. Here is what it means for you

In May 2026 the Information Commissioner's Office warned that AI is lowering the skill needed to attack and shrinking the time between a weakness appearing and it being exploited. For most businesses, that raises the value of the basics, and of testing.

What is changing

Attackers are using AI the same way everyone else is: to work faster and at scale. It helps them write convincing phishing without the tell-tale mistakes, find and exploit weaknesses more quickly, and run more attacks with less effort. The practical effect the regulator is warning about is a shrinking window between a vulnerability becoming known and it being used against real businesses.

Why it matters for smaller businesses

You no longer need to be a big, deliberate target. Automated, AI-assisted attacks sweep up whoever is exposed, and a single missing MFA setting or a system left unpatched for a few weeks is often all it takes. The gap between the biggest firms and the smallest, in terms of who gets hit, is closing.

The answer is not more hype

It is tempting to reach for a shiny new tool for every new threat. The honest answer is that the fundamentals still work, provided they are done consistently: multi-factor authentication, fast patching, controlled access, and actually knowing where your weaknesses are before an attacker does. AI raises the cost of doing the basics badly.

Testing has to keep pace

This is exactly why independent testing matters more, not less, and why Solusec holds CREST's AI-Enabled Penetration Testing accreditation. It means our testing reflects how attackers really operate now, including AI-assisted techniques, rather than a static checklist from a few years ago.

How we help

We help you get the baseline solid with Cyber Essentials, then test it properly, including AI-enabled penetration testing, to find what automated tools and tick-box assessments miss. Then we tell you, plainly, what is worth fixing first.

Common questions