AI and Automation: The Next Frontier
While RaaS has already lowered the barrier to entry for cybercrime, the integration of artificial intelligence is pushing the threat to even greater heights. AI is being used to automate phishing campaigns, craft hyper-realistic lures, and identify vulnerabilities in real time. Deepfake technology and AI-generated voice or video messages are making social engineering attacks harder to detect and easier to execute.
These tools dramatically increase the effectiveness and frequency of attacks. Cybercriminals no longer need to spend weeks probing a network manually. They can deploy automated bots to scan for weak points, exploit unpatched systems, and launch large-scale ransomware campaigns. This acceleration is forcing defenders into a constant game of catch-up.
The Most Common Points of Entry
Despite the technological advances, attackers still rely on several tried-and-true entry points—many of which remain unresolved across industries:
- Phishing and Social Engineering: Still the top entry point for ransomware, especially when enhanced with AI-generated emails, deepfake voices, or fake websites that make attacks harder to spot.
- Unpatched Software: Outdated systems with known vulnerabilities remain low-hanging fruit for attackers who exploit missed updates.
- Weak or Stolen Credentials: Passwords obtained through phishing or brute-force attacks are highly effective—particularly when multi-factor authentication (MFA) isn’t in place.
- Remote Access Tools: VPNs, RDP, and cloud apps are frequent targets. Without proper security controls, they can provide direct access to critical systems.
These weaknesses aren’t new, but the speed and automation with which attackers exploit them are.
High-Risk Targets
Certain sectors are more vulnerable than others. Organizations in healthcare, financial services, and critical infrastructure face elevated risks due to the potential impact of downtime, regulatory scrutiny, and the sensitivity of the data they handle. The stakes are highest where operations cannot afford disruption—making those industries more likely to pay ransoms quickly, further incentivizing attackers.
Cloud-first organizations, remote work environments, and companies relying on virtualization are also particularly exposed. The compromise of a hypervisor, for example, can cascade across an entire digital ecosystem, affecting every dependent system in a matter of minutes.
A Real-World Example
The attack on CDK Global, a software provider for car dealerships, is a sobering illustration of RaaS in action.
