New Mobile Threats 2025
For years, AI and machine learning (ML) have been heralded as revolutionary tools for cybersecurity defence. However, the same capabilities that allow AI to detect anomalies and predict threats are now being weaponised by adversaries to create attacks that are more effective, adaptive, scalable, and difficult to detect than ever before
AI is not just creating new types of attacks; it is acting as a powerful accelerator for existing ones, lowering the barrier for less-skilled actors to deploy highly sophisticated campaigns.
Key AI-driven attack vectors impacting mobile communications include:
Hyper-Realistic Phishing and Social Engineering: Generative AI models can now craft flawless phishing emails and smishing texts that are personalized to the target, using correct grammar, tone, and context scraped from public data. This makes them nearly indistinguishable from legitimate communications.
The threat is amplified by AI-powered voice cloning and deepfake video technology, which can be used to convincingly impersonate a CEO, colleague, or family member in a phone call or video message, instructing the target to transfer funds or divulge sensitive credentials.
Adaptive and Autonomous Malware: AI is being integrated directly into mobile malware. AI-powered Trojans can dynamically alter their code signature (polymorphic behavior) to evade detection by traditional, signature-based antivirus tools. More advanced "agentic AI" malware can learn from its environment, autonomously probe for vulnerabilities, and adapt its attack strategy in real-time with minimal human intervention, dramatically accelerating the speed and success rate of attacks.
Systematic Defeat of Biometrics: Biometric authentication, such as Apple's Face ID or fingerprint scanners, has been considered a strong layer of mobile security. However, AI is now being used to systematically defeat these systems. Attackers can use AI to generate convincing deepfake videos and images that bypass liveness checks and other anti-spoofing measures, compromising what was once a trusted pillar of device authentication.