AI-Driven Cyberattacks Surge by 56% with Average Breach Costing $6.04m

The number of AI-driven cyberattacks has surged by 56% over the past year, according to IBM's 2026 Cost of a Data Breach Report. The report found that more than one in four organisations experienced malicious incidents linked to artificial intelligence.

The average cost of a breach involving AI was $6.04 million, significantly higher than breaches where AI was not a factor at around $5.04 million.

IBM researchers noted that attackers are using generative AI to automate reconnaissance and craft convincing social-engineering content, which shortens the time required to find and exploit vulnerabilities.