How GenAI is breaking traditional cyber security awareness tactics
How GenAI is breaking traditional cyber security awareness tactics
Publish Date: 2026-02-10 01:39:00
Source Domain: www.computerweekly.com
The rapid adoption of generative AI (GenAI) is exposing weaknesses in traditional cyber security awareness efforts as employees frequently use unsanctioned GenAI solutions in the workplace. This unknowingly puts sensitive company information at risk.
The integration of GenAI tools into daily workflows outpaces existing security controls, while threat actors are exploiting the same technology to sharpen their campaigns. This combination is creating risks that many cyber security programmes were not designed to manage.
A recent Gartner survey revealed over 57% of employees use personal GenAI accounts for work and 33% admit to inputting sensitive work information into public or unapproved GenAI tools. The challenge grows as 36% either download or use unapproved GenAI tools on their work devices. These behaviours significantly increase the risk of cyber incidents and regulatory non-compliance.
At the same time, threat actors are leveraging GenAI to launch highly sophisticated deepfake, phishing and social engineering attacks. Gartner research shows 35% of organisations have faced deepfake incidents and 84% of cyber security leaders have seen phishing attacks become more advanced in recent years. The number of AI-powered malicious emails has also doubled over the past two years, making detection increasingly difficult for employees.
These trends carry real business consequences if left unaddressed. Privacy and intellectual property risks can escalate into costly incidents with long-term reputational impact, which can impact broader business outcomes.
There is an urgent need for organisations to strengthen their security behaviour and culture programmes to foster vigilance and drive behavioural change with employees. This will help manage their interactions with GenAI, focusing on how they utilise AI tools at every level.
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