By 2025, cyberattacks will have reached unprecedented levels, and artificial intelligence has become one of the main threat accelerators. This is according to Check Point's 14th Annual Cyber Security Report, which depicts a landscape in which hackers are increasingly operating like organized businesses, using automation and AI to strike faster and on multiple fronts.
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The extent of the phenomenon
The numbers help understand the threat threat: globally,
each organization experienced an average of 1,968 attacks per week in 2025, a
70% increase compared to 2023. In Italy, the situation is even more intense:
2,334 weekly attacks per company or entity, 18% higher than the global average.
The most affected sectors are the public sector, services and consumer goods,
and the financial sector.
Tailored attacks with AI
But what does it mean, in practice, that AI is changing
attacks? Until a few years ago, many online scams were "artisanal":
emails full of errors, generic messages, and unreliable attempts. Today,
artificial intelligence allows criminals to craft perfect texts, mimic writing
styles, automatically gather information, and build tailored messages. It's a
bit like going from a hand-photocopied letter to a personalized advertising
campaign for each individual victim.
The report also notes the rise of multi-channel attacks, meaning they use multiple means at once: email, fake websites, phone calls, and even work tools like company chats or collaboration platforms. One rapidly growing technique is the so-called "ClickFix": the victim is persuaded to follow fake technical instructions, such as copying and pasting commands or downloading tools that actually open the door to hackers . It looks like IT support, but it's a trap.
Smarter Ransomware
Ransomware , the type of attack that locks files and
computers and demands a ransom , also continues to grow . This
"market" is fragmenting into many smaller, specialized groups, often
organized as subscription services for less experienced criminals (so-called
ransomware -as-a-service). AI is being used to better select victims and even
to manage payment negotiations.
Another critical front concerns devices "at the
edge" of the corporate network, such as routers, VPNs, or connected
objects (cameras, sensors, IoT systems) . If not updated and monitored, they
can become hidden entrances. It's like having a back door in a building: maybe
no one looks at it, but that's precisely where an intruder can enter.
According to Check Point, defense requires a shift in mindset: it's not enough to react to attacks, you have to prevent them. This means regularly updating systems and devices, controlling who accesses what, protecting online work tools, and carefully managing the use of AI in the company, preventing sensitive data from ending up in unauthorized services. In a world where attacks travel at the speed of machines, security must do the same.
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