Seven security and government bodies in the Netherlands warned that artificial intelligence is changing the cyberthreat landscape by accelerating the stages of an attack, from finding vulnerabilities to exploiting them. The bodies urged organizations to act immediately, considering that delays in addressing weaknesses leave consequences that may extend to critical systems and citizens’ data.
The warning was issued in a joint statement involving the General Intelligence and Security Service of the Netherlands (AIVD), the Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV), the Public Prosecution Service, the Government Information CIO Office CIO Rijk, and the National Police.
How Is Artificial Intelligence Expanding the Attack Surface?
The statement said that attackers can use artificial intelligence to discover and exploit vulnerabilities before defensive organizations are able to detect them. It also makes the development of malware faster, helps write more convincing phishing messages, and enables the large-scale customization of disinformation campaigns.
The Dutch bodies emphasized that carrying out these activities does not necessarily require access to the most advanced artificial intelligence models; readily available models are already capable of supporting this type of attack. This means that the threat is not limited to technologically advanced actors, but may extend to a broader range of attackers.
What Is Changing in Practice for Organizations?
The statement recommended that managers begin by completing basic security measures, reducing the attack surface, and replacing outdated systems that no longer receive security updates. It clearly criticized failing to install updates or delaying them, considering that attacks occurring because of this type of negligence are indefensible.
The bodies also urged organizations to plan on the assumption that an attacker may enter the system and to prepare to deal with warning indicators associated with artificial intelligence. They warned that weak defenses could lead to prolonged outages in critical systems and the leakage of large quantities of names, addresses, and identification numbers, resulting in privacy- and financial-related harm.
Why Is Technical Remediation Alone Not Enough?
Matthijs van Amelsfort, Director-General of the National Cyber Security Centre, said that artificial intelligence automates the attack chain from discovering a vulnerability to misusing it, making basic measures more important. The statement views the most important step as not merely technical, but also cultural and awareness-related.
certi.news analysis: The significance of the warning lies in the fact that it does not present artificial intelligence as a separate threat, but as a factor that accelerates weaknesses already present in update management, system design, and the awareness of employees and managers. According to the information provided, the statement does not establish that every attack will become more complex, but it does establish that the cost of accessing convincing offensive tools is falling, and that reliance on outdated defenses is becoming more dangerous. The open question is whether organizations can turn the warning into continuous operational practices rather than a temporary response after a breach occurs.