Global cybersecurity leader Trend Micro is issuing a stark warning to the business community, urging a fundamental shift in cybersecurity strategy from a defensive posture to a proactive offense. As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly becomes a cornerstone of business innovation, it is simultaneously being weaponized by threat actors, creating a new generation of cyberattacks that are faster, more sophisticated, and alarmingly inexpensive. The company emphasizes that in this new reality, waiting for an attack to happen is no longer a viable option; organizations must adopt a “Proactive Security” framework to preempt threats and safeguard their future.
The modern economic landscape is inextricably linked with the advancements in artificial intelligence. AI is the engine driving unprecedented innovation, optimizing sales, and delivering a significant competitive edge to companies that successfully harness its power. However, this technological leap forward has cast a long shadow. The very same AI that businesses use to their advantage is being adeptly used by hackers to devise and execute attacks with terrifying efficiency. This dual-use nature of AI has irrevocably altered the cyber threat landscape, demanding a forward-thinking and preemptive approach to security.
The New Attack Paradigm: Faster, Cheaper, and More Deceptive
While foundational cyber threats like exploiting system vulnerabilities and password theft persist, the methods and speed of these attacks have evolved dramatically. Cybercriminals are now leveraging sophisticated tools, including AI, to drastically shorten the time it takes to breach a network. Operations that once took weeks or even months of meticulous reconnaissance and execution can now be accomplished in a matter of days or hours.
Even more alarming is the precipitous drop in the cost of launching a sophisticated attack. According to Trend Micro’s intelligence, the cost per hack can be as low as 30 U.S. cents, or approximately 10 Thai Baht, effectively democratizing cybercrime and lowering the barrier to entry for a wider range of malicious actors. Compounding this threat is the increased sophistication of deceptive techniques used to infiltrate organizations and exfiltrate data. Hackers are now using AI to craft highly personalized and convincing lures, from phishing emails that are virtually indistinguishable from legitimate communications to advanced social engineering tactics like deepfakes.
Piyatida Tantrakul, Regional Managing Director for Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar at Trend Micro, commented on this pressing challenge. “When technology plays a greater role in an organization, and innovations like AI are used to drive business, everyone must start thinking about how to support that innovation. The first priority is to have visibility, or the ability to see the overall picture within the organization—to know where vulnerabilities exist and how robust our infrastructure is. From there, continuous monitoring is required to detect vulnerabilities and implement appropriate security systems to enhance AI’s stability and security, especially concerning critical company data that we must ensure does not leak.”
From Business Assistant to Hacker’s Toolkit
The same AI that helps a company analyze market trends is being used by hackers to analyze and bypass its defenses. They can create elaborate decoy scenarios and personalized content to manipulate employees with unprecedented success. The threat of deepfake technology, which can realistically clone the face and voice of a CEO or CFO to authorize fraudulent wire transfers or demand sensitive credentials, has moved from the realm of science fiction to a clear and present danger. This demonstrates a tactical shift by attackers; they are no longer just reacting to opportunities but are becoming “Proactive” in their methods of assault.
“Proactive Security”: Fortifying Organizations in the AI Era
To counter a proactive threat, organizations must adopt a proactive defense. The “Proactive Security” framework championed by Trend Micro is a strategic approach designed to prepare and protect an organization before an attack occurs, rather than simply reacting to the aftermath. This forward-looking strategy is built upon several key pillars:
First is to Empower the Team. Technology is only one part of the equation; the human element remains critical. Organizations must invest in comprehensive awareness programs and continuous training to equip employees to recognize and respond to sophisticated, AI-driven threats. This is especially crucial for combating social engineering and deepfake attacks, which directly target human psychology. A well-informed workforce acts as the first and most crucial line of defense.
Second is to Invest in the Right Tools. Traditional security solutions are often blind to the novel threats posed by AI. It is imperative for businesses to invest in next-generation technologies capable of detecting and neutralizing these new attack vectors. This includes specialized tools for deepfake detection and, more broadly, security solutions that are themselves integrated with AI to identify anomalous patterns and predict threats before they fully materialize.
Third is the principle of Creating Visibility and Continuous Monitoring. An organization cannot protect what it cannot see. Gaining a complete and detailed understanding of the entire IT infrastructure, including all potential vulnerabilities, is a foundational step. This comprehensive visibility of the “attack surface”—the sum of all possible entry points for an attack—must be coupled with constant, vigilant monitoring to detect suspicious activities early.
Finally, organizations must Improve and Harden Internal Processes. Robust security cannot be achieved with technology alone; it must be woven into the fabric of daily operations. Critical procedures, particularly those related to financial approvals and access to sensitive data, must be fortified with multi-layered verification steps. Trend Micro suggests practical measures such as implementing confidential “Code Phrases,” known only to key executives, to provide an additional layer of verification for high-stakes commands issued through digital channels.
With over 35 years of industry experience and consistent recognition as a global leader by top analyst firms like Gartner and IDC, Trend Micro has been at the forefront of this evolution. Its flagship Vision One platform exemplifies the proactive approach, incorporating features for both “AI for Security” (using AI to enhance defenses) and “Security for AI” (securing the enterprise’s own use of AI technologies). The company’s expertise is further validated by its track record, having blocked over 147 billion threats in 2024 and played a pivotal role alongside global law enforcement agencies in disrupting the infamous Lockbit ransomware group.
Don’t Fear AI, But Be Prepared to Confront It
Ultimately, the message from Trend Micro is not one of fear, but of preparedness. The integration of AI into business is an irreversible and beneficial trend. The key is to manage its associated risks with foresight and strategy.
“We cannot be afraid of bringing AI technology to drive our organizations, but we must always be prepared to deal with fast-moving AI,” Piyatida Tantrakul concluded. “Today is the time we must be more proactive, which aligns with the concept ‘Proactive Security Starts Here’ that we want to communicate.”
While adopting AI inevitably opens up a new attack surface, defensive AI technologies are also advancing rapidly. The crucial first step for any organization is to commit to a proactive security posture, enabling them to harness the immense benefits of AI confidently and securely in an increasingly complex digital world.
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