Threat Intelligence

AI Is Giving Cybercriminals a Speed Advantage, Warns Former Hacker

Dark Reading · 3 Sept 2026

Key Takeaway Assume attackers can now move faster than before, so prioritise quick detection and response, not just prevention.

A former cybercriminal turned security commentator, Brett Johnson, has offered a rare inside look at how threat actors think and operate — and where artificial intelligence is giving them the biggest edge. According to Johnson, the main advantage AI provides attackers isn't necessarily more sophisticated attacks, but speed: the ability to plan, prepare, and execute schemes far more quickly than before.

This time advantage matters because much of cybercrime depends on volume and opportunity. Tasks that once took criminals hours or days — such as researching targets, drafting convincing scam messages, or refining techniques — can now be done in a fraction of the time with AI assistance. That means defenders may have less warning time and face a higher volume of attempted attacks.

For small and medium businesses, this shift reinforces the need for strong basic defences and quick detection, since attackers can now iterate and strike faster than traditional security processes may be prepared for.

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Summarised by CISO AI from Dark Reading. We link back to every original so you can read it yourself.