Can cybersecurity withstand the new AI era?

What if the secret to unlocking global business growth wasn’t more money but smarter, affordable tools that companies of all sizes could use?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is redefining industries, economies and societies, but it is also reshaping the threat landscape at unprecedented scale and speed. Attackers no longer need years of experience to develop advanced tactics: they can access the same AI tools that fuel innovation on the defensive side.

Cyberattacks are faster, more targeted and adaptive than many existing defences can withstand.

The speed of this transformation is outpacing traditional cybersecurity measures. Threat actors automate reconnaissance, execute realistic phishing campaigns at scale and probe digital infrastructure in ways that human defenders and outdated tools struggle to identify and predict.

The global shortage of nearly 4 million skilled cybersecurity professionals compounds this problem.

Large enterprises with access to advanced talent and dedicated budgets fund ways to protect and defend themselves but micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and organizations in underdeveloped regions remain disproportionately exposed.

One in three MSMEs experienced a cyberattack in the last year and the average total cost of an attack is $254,445 but can reach $7 million.

Organizations that don’t extensively use AI and automation take 80 days longer to identify and contain a breach than those that do.

Unsecured endpoints open the door to attacks and they must be strengthened as the first line of defence. Traditional endpoint protection often relies on agents that introduce complexity and require specialized teams to manage, leaving many organizations unable to implement them effectively.

For the digital economy to be resilient at scale, access to advanced posture management and quantum-aware security cannot remain a privilege of resource-rich nations and enterprises.

To truly secure a digitized world, we must deliver plug-and-play solutions that allow MSMEs, startups and developing economies to compete on equal footing.

These solutions must leverage AI, automation and intelligent security posture management to oversee vulnerabilities, with proactive detection that stops attackers, ensuring endpoint resilience remains high without requiring extensive expertise.

Equal access to advanced cybersecurity solutions enables organizations without large cybersecurity teams to remain protected while still fully participating in the digital era.

Simplicity and automation are no longer “nice to have” – they are necessary for business continuity and survival in an environment where attackers constantly iterate at machine speed.

Another critical challenge is not just today’s AI-driven attacks but tomorrow’s quantum-driven ones. Quantum computing holds the potential to break widely adopted encryption standards, undermining much of the foundation of current cybersecurity.

“Harvest now, decrypt later” attacks patiently wait to mine and exploit data that does not degrade over time, such as sensitive customer information, proprietary research and confidential information. Waiting until that transition is upon us leaves organizations structurally vulnerable.

The next generation of posture management must therefore build quantum readiness into its design, ensuring systems are prepared for the eventual disruption of cryptographic models. Forward-thinking organizations that adopt quantum-aware solutions now are better positioned to withstand this looming transformation.

For the digital economy to be resilient at scale, access to advanced posture management and quantum-aware security cannot remain a privilege of resource-rich nations and enterprises. To truly secure a digitized world, we must design solutions that allow MSMEs, startups and developing economies to compete on an equal footing.

For too long, robust cybersecurity has been seen as a luxury reserved for large enterprises. However, a new generation of plug-and-play solutions is levelling the playing field.

Imagine a small company: with a simple installation that requires no complex technical knowledge, the leadership team can view a comprehensive security health score for their entire network within hours. The real power, however, is revealed during an attack.

Instead of a chaotic, manual response, the system automatically isolates compromised endpoints across the network. This rapid, automated containment prevents the threat from spreading, ensuring business continuity with minimal disruption and making advanced security accessible to every company.

The future of cybersecurity cannot rely on reactive defences. Attackers are leveraging AI and automation for innovation, iteration and sophistication – we must do the same.

That means building proactive posture management at the endpoint, embedding quantum readiness into infrastructure and ensuring accessibility for all organizations regardless of size or geography.

Only then can we stay one step ahead in an age where risks are evolving at machine speed.

The future of global business depends on empowering every organization with smart, accessible tools to defend and grow. Now is the time to embrace innovation, break down barriers and secure a digital world where small and medium businesses can thrive alongside giants.

The challenge is urgent but the solutions are within reach – every step taken toward inclusive, advanced cybersecurity is a step toward a stronger, more resilient global economy. The question is: will we act before it’s too late?