Commissioned by IRONSCALES
Published January 2026
Executive summary
Current and emerging types of cyberattacks are undermining trust in digital communication channels and verified identities. New types of attacks that undermine trust are facilitated by AI, driving high levels of concern across organizations. But even existing attack types that we have already wrestled with for decades and would prefer to consider solved—such as phishing and business email compromise—are being supercharged by AI. The common culprit in new generations of trust-destroying attacks is AI, driving malicious innovations in deepfakes, synthetic media, impersonation, and phishing to compromise credentials.
Organizations can’t afford to trust that existing security solutions are up to the task of detecting, stopping, and mitigating these new attacks. Training approaches must be revisited to cultivate awareness of new deepfake attacks. Technical cybersecurity protections, likewise, must be bolstered by investing in solutions that address new and emerging attack quadrants.