Your account can be emptied in just 27 seconds: AI gives wings to cybercrime

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Your account can be emptied in just 27 seconds: AI gives wings to cybercrime

Cyberattacks powered by artificial intelligence are rising sharply — and they’re getting dramatically faster.

AI-enabled attacks increased by 89% over the past year, while the average time it takes cybercriminals to break into corporate systems has dropped to just 29 minutes, according to CrowdStrike’s Global Threat Report 2026. In the most extreme case observed, attackers gained access in just 27 seconds.

Faster intrusions, less time to react

The report warns that AI is not only increasing the volume of attacks, but also accelerating how quickly criminals can move once inside a network. On average, the time required for cybercriminal groups to access company assets fell by 65% in 2025 compared to the previous year.

AI is being used to automate reconnaissance, steal credentials, evade detection, and streamline internal movement across compromised systems. CrowdStrike cites the Russian-linked group FANCY BEAR, which allegedly used malware enhanced with a large language model to automate document recognition and collection. Another actor, PUNK SPIDER, reportedly used AI-generated scripts to speed up credential dumping and erase forensic traces. North Korea-linked FAMOUS CHOLLIMA is said to have deployed AI-generated identities to infiltrate organizations and escalate operations internally.

Cloud systems and AI tools under attack

Modern intrusions increasingly move through trusted identities, SaaS applications, and cloud infrastructures, blending in with legitimate activity and making detection more difficult.

The report also notes that attackers are targeting artificial intelligence systems themselves. In more than 90 organizations, criminals injected malicious prompts into generative AI tools or abused AI development platforms. Some exploited vulnerabilities in those platforms to establish persistence and deploy ransomware. Others created malicious AI servers that impersonated trusted services to intercept sensitive data.

CrowdStrike, which tracks more than 280 threat groups worldwide, reports a 38% increase in operations linked to China and a more than 130% rise in activity tied to North Korea. Cloud-targeted intrusions increased by 37% overall, while state-linked actors ramped up cloud attacks by 266% for intelligence gathering.

Zero-day vulnerabilities on the rise

The report also highlights the growing exploitation of zero-day vulnerabilities. According to CrowdStrike, 42% of vulnerabilities were exploited before they were publicly disclosed, allowing attackers to gain initial access, execute remote code, or escalate privileges before defensive patches were available.

The broader trend is clear: as AI innovation accelerates, cybercriminals — including state-backed groups — are keeping pace, shrinking the time between breach and impact.

Sources: elEconomista.es, CrowdStrike Global Threat Report 2026

This article is made and published by Asger Risom, who may have used AI in the preparation