By Steve Povolny is Director of Security Research at Exabeam and Co-founder of TEN18.

A distinguished cybersecurity leader with more than 15 years of experience leading global specialists of security researchers, data scientists, and developers, he brings diverse technical expertise and is an effective people leader with a track record of building high-performing teams. Povolny has a deep understanding of the latest developments in cybersecurity and is a frequent subject matter expert for the media. As a regular speaker at industry conferences, Povolny often shares insights on emerging trends, attack surfaces, and cutting-edge vulnerability and malware research.

In his roles at Exabeam and TEN18, Povolny and team have a singular focus: integrating world-class research into the industry's top cybersecurity solutions to disrupt cybercrime and defend customers' critical assets.

In this article, Povolny explores the transformative impact of emerging technologies on the cybersecurity landscape. He highlights how Generative AI (GenAI) will democratize malware creation, enabling a new wave of cybercriminals to deploy sophisticated attacks without coding expertise. Povolny introduces the concept of "Zero Trust for AI," a critical framework for mitigating risks associated with AI-generated outputs by emphasizing validation, verification, and human oversight. Additionally, he examines the rising threat of deepfakes, which will elevate social engineering attacks to unprecedented levels, challenging organizations to rethink identity verification and fraud prevention in an era of hyper-realistic deception.

AI Will Democratize Malware Creation, Opening the Door for a New Class of Cybercriminals

You won't need to be a coder to create sophisticated malware in 2025-AI will do it for you. Generative AI models trained specifically to generate malicious code will emerge in underground markets, making it possible for anyone with access to deploy ransomware, spyware and other types of malware with little effort. These "hacker-in-a-box" tools will automate everything from writing to deploying attacks, democratizing cybercrime and increasing the volume and diversity of threats.

"Zero Trust for AI" Will Begin to Emerge as a Key Security Conversation

AI can be a powerful ally in security, but it also introduces new risks-especially when users place unchecked confidence in its results. Blindly trusting AI-generated outputs will become a major vulnerability for organizations. This will lead to the rise of a new cybersecurity mandate: "Zero Trust for AI." Unlike traditional Zero Trust principles, Zero Trust for AI is not a prediction for the future; it's a concept ready for discussion now, bringing a nuanced approach to trusting AI. This framework will require organizations to verify, validate and fact-check AI outputs before allowing them to drive critical security decisions. This shift will encourage security teams to roll out trust incrementally, allowing for a more controlled and secure integration of AI. Human oversight will become a non-negotiable component of AI deployments within security environments.

Deepfakes Will Unleash a Devastating New Wave of Social Engineering Attacks

No longer just a theoretical risk, video-based deepfakes will become highly realistic and imperceptible from reality. This technology will be weaponized in social engineering attacks, allowing criminals to impersonate executives, forge high-stakes transactions, and extract massive payouts from unsuspecting victims. With AI making deepfakes accessible at the push of a button, the potential for financial fraud will explode, forcing organizations to rethink how they verify identity in an increasingly deceptive world.

Conclusion

As Povolny emphasizes, technological advancements will both empower cybercriminals and challenge defenders to innovate at an unprecedented pace. From democratized malware creation to the rise of deepfake-driven social engineering, the threats of tomorrow demand fresh frameworks, such as "Zero Trust for AI," to validate and oversee AI-generated outputs. In 2025, organizations must act swiftly to adapt, implementing proactive strategies to safeguard against these emerging threats.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Steve Povolny is Director of Security Research at Exabeam and Co-founder of TEN18. A distinguished cybersecurity leader with more than 15 years of experience leading global specialists of security researchers, data scientists, and developers, he brings diverse technical expertise and is an effective people leader with a track record of building high-performing teams. Povolny has a deep understanding of the latest developments in cybersecurity and is a frequent subject matter expert for the media. As a regular speaker at industry conferences, Povolny often shares insights on emerging trends, attack surfaces, and cutting-edge vulnerability and malware research.

In his roles at Exabeam and TEN18, Povolny and team have a singular focus: integrating world-class research into the industry's top cybersecurity solutions to disrupt cybercrime and defend customers' critical assets.