AI shaping the next generation of cyber attacks

DNVN - The year 2025 will witness a wave of cybercrime in Vietnam "explode" at an unprecedented rate. This sudden increase in both scale and impact is deeply rooted in the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into attack campaigns.

Report on Information Security Risk Situation in Vietnam in the third quarter of 2025. Photo: Viettel Cyber ​​Security.

AI technology is creating a revolution in the field of cyber attacks. Experts from Viettel Cyber ​​Security (VCS) commented that AI is currently being applied to automate the process of scanning, analyzing and selecting targets with high security vulnerabilities in advanced persistent threats (APT), thereby significantly increasing the success rate of these attacks.

In addition, AI has also promoted the strong development of Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) and “attack-as-a-Service” models. These services are becoming increasingly popular, helping to reduce technical barriers, allowing low-level subjects to also be able to carry out large-scale attacks by “buying attack packages” for just a few dozen USD.

Another worrying development is the emergence of AI-powered polymorphic malware. Experts from VCS warn that, with the help of AI, malware can not only change its structure but also have the ability to intelligently create new variants that are difficult to detect.

Cybercrime is on the rise thanks to the support of AI

Cybercrime statistics show the seriousness of the cybersecurity situation. According to a report from VCS, in the third quarter of 2025, Vietnam recorded more than 502 million leaked business data records and 6.5 million stolen personal accounts, marking a 64% increase compared to the previous quarter. Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks also saw a sharp increase, with more than 547,000 attacks recorded in the third quarter (VCS), double that of the same period in 2024.

This increase is directly related to the application of AI. VNETWORK recorded nearly 256,000 DDoS attacks in the first half of 2025, nearly 50% of which (117,760) used AI to increase the scale and impact. AI-powered attacks reached an average intensity of more than 322 Gbps, while the largest attack peaked at 1.2 Tbps.

The attacks largely targeted critical systems, especially large and important sectors. The hardest hit sectors, with hundreds of millions of data records compromised, included finance and banking, energy and critical infrastructure. Data from VNIS shows that finance was the sector with the highest attack rate, accounting for 34%, followed by e-commerce and media.

Switch to active defense

Faced with increasingly sophisticated and AI-influenced attacks, VCS recommends that organizations and businesses shift from a passive defense mindset to an active defense.

The main solutions include:

Build a multi-layered defense strategy to protect critical systems and data.

Leveraging AI in defense : According to Vnetwork Chairman Nguyen Van Tao, if businesses use AI properly, this technology will not only help respond quickly but can also become an effective tool for active defense.

Invest in automation systems combined with smart monitoring technology and human resource training programs.

Strengthen information cooperation with cybersecurity service providers , thereby improving early warning capabilities and timely response to new threats.

Hien Thao

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/cong-nghe/ai-dinh-hinh-the-he-tan-cong-mang-moi/20251029041523564