Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a weapon of choice for cybercriminals, with one in every four malicious data breaches now involving AI-assisted attacks, according to a new report from International Business Machines (IBM).

The findings carry growing significance for Nigerian organisations as businesses, banks, telecom operators, fintechs and government agencies accelerate AI adoption and digital transformation, expanding both the opportunities and risks created by emerging technologies.

Released on Wednesday, IBM’s 2026 Cost of a Data Breach Report reveals that AI-enabled attacks now account for approximately 25% of malicious data breaches worldwide, highlighting how cybercriminals are using generative AI to make attacks faster, more convincing and more difficult to detect.

The report attributes the increase to the growing use of generative AI by threat actors to automate cyberattacks, develop sophisticated malware, produce convincing phishing emails and create deepfake content capable of deceiving employees and bypassing conventional security controls.

AI making cyberattacks more sophisticated

According to IBM, organisations hit by AI-assisted cyberattacks incur an average cost of US$6 million per breach, around US$1 million higher than the global average cost of a data breach.

The report attributes the increase to the growing use of generative AI by threat actors to automate cyberattacks, develop sophisticated malware, produce convincing phishing emails and create deepfake content capable of deceiving employees and bypassing conventional security controls.

As AI tools become more accessible, the…