Hackers Are Automating Cyberattacks With AI. Defenders Are Using It to Fight Back.

Generative AI is now being actively used by hackers to automate cyberattacks at unprecedented scale and speed. Evidence includes Russian-speaking attackers using commercial AI to breach FortiGate-protected systems across 55 countries, an NYU researcher's autonomous AI ransomware prototype, and a Chinese state-linked group automating 80-90% of an espionage campaign via Claude. On the defensive side, Anthropic released Claude Code Security for vulnerability scanning, CrowdStrike launched AI agents for malware analysis and threat hunting, and Aikido Security introduced AI-driven continuous penetration testing. The outcome of this AI arms race will depend more on adaptation speed than raw model capabilities.