10 Tips to Improve Security Posture Against AI Threats

Concerned about security posture? Every IT and security professional should be. After all, the average cost of a data breach continues to climb toward $5 million.

But it’s not only technology that you need to invest in for defense. It’s your people, too. A significant portion of cybersecurity risk originates from within. Employees can click on a malicious link in a phishing email or be duped into transferring company funds during a video conference call with a deepfake, all in seconds — and you won’t know until it’s too late.

As if the stakes weren’t high enough, the threat landscape is rapidly evolving, supercharged by artificial intelligence (AI). Nearly half of organizations, according to the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Cybersecurity Outlook, say threats from generative AI are their primary concern.

AI enhances the sophistication and scale of attacks, with AI phishing now surfacing across every channel. Through email alone, AI-generated text in malicious emails has doubled over the past two years. Alongside this, deepfake incidents soared by 257% in 2024, creating a tidal wave of hyper-realistic scams designed to deceive even the most discerning eye.

Employees should be an organization’s strongest asset when it comes to security posture, not the weakest link. Empowered and equipped with knowledge, they know what to look for in the age of AI to serve as a future-proof human firewall.

Here are tips to enhance security posture and build resilience as AI-powered cyberattacks become more prevalent.

#1. Prioritize Comprehensive Security Awareness Training

Security awareness training is the regular education of all employees — from the C-suite to the frontlines and everywhere in between — on current cybersecurity threats, social engineering tactics, safe online practices, and incident reporting procedures.

Rather than a one-off task, security awareness training is an ongoing commitment to fostering a security-conscious culture.

60% of breaches involve the human element, so employees are both a target for cybercriminals and a vital line of defense for IT and security teams. AI now crafts highly convincing scams across email, voice, video, and SMS, making human vigilance more important than ever.

Effective training, focused on behavior change, reduces human-related risks. In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2026, enterprises combining generative AI with integrated platform-based architecture in security behavior and culture programs (SBCP) will experience 40% fewer cybersecurity incidents.

Remember that security awareness training isn’t just a formality full of checklists. Your program should be engaging and continuous, so use varied formats like interactive modules, videos, and real-world simulations.

And much like cybersecurity threats, your security awareness training program needs to evolve, especially as AI-driven tactics and deepfakes usher in hyper-realistic communications.

#2. Conduct Regular & Realistic Phishing Simulations

Phishing simulations, controlled exercises where you send simulated malicious communications to employees, test the ability to identify and report threats, safely mimicking real-world attacks without all the real-world consequences.

Employees often click malicious links in under a minute, so testing against realistic, AI-crafted lures is a must. Regular phishing simulations reinforce learning and keep security top of mind.

Deploy diverse, sophisticated simulations reflecting current attack methods, including AI personalization with deepfakes of your organization’s leadership team. Additionally, simulate smishing and vishing attempts, as these methods are also on the rise.

Once you’ve rolled out phishing simulations, track click rates, data entry attempts, and reporting rates. You’ll then want to provide immediate, constructive feedback and targeted microlearning for those who fall victim, emphasizing the learning opportunity that can arise from the experience.

#3. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication Everywhere

Stolen credentials are the top initial access vector at 22% of breaches, according to Verizon’s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report. However, while multi-factor authentication (MFA) reduces the risk of unauthorized access, even if passwords are stolen, attackers are adapting with techniques like MFA bombing to bypass it.

Enforce MFA widely, especially for critical systems, cloud services, email, and remote access. Also, phishing-resistant methods like FIDO2 keys and authenticator apps should be prioritized over SMS text messaging.

Multi-factor authentication should also be part of security awareness training. Educate employees on using MFA correctly and recognizing (and reporting) suspicious activity, which could signal an attack.

#4. Develop & Test an Incident Response Plan

An incident response plan (IRP) is a strategy outlining how your organization prepares for, responds to, and recovers from cyber incidents, with roles and procedures defined in a formal document.

Incidents can still occur despite the strongest defenses, but a well-tested IRP minimizes impact — financially, operationally, and reputationally.

Organizations with a tested IRP consistently show lower breach costs, so swift detection and response are critical given the average discovery time for non-actor-disclosed breaches is around 24 days.

Your IRP should be comprehensive, covering the phases outlined by frameworks such as the NIST Computer Security Incident Handling Guide.

#5. Embrace a Zero Trust Architecture

‘Never trust, always verify’ is the operating principle for Zero Trust. It assumes no implicit trust for any user or device, requiring rigorous validation for every access request based on privilege.

Traditional security, which focuses on the perimeter, is no longer sufficient. Zero Trust limits an attacker’s ability to move laterally within your organization’s network if they achieve initial access, thus containing the damage. As a result, Zero Trust is crucial against AI-driven attacks.

Implementing Zero Trust is a gradual process, and key elements include strong identity verification (such as with MFA), device validation, network microsegmentation, least privilege application or data access controls, continuous monitoring, and automation.

#6. Regularly Patch & Update Software

In the aftermath of a cyberattack that exploits security vulnerabilities, an organization could take as long as an entire year to fully recover. Yet it could’ve all been avoided if software updates had been deployed as soon as known vulnerabilities and their fixes emerged.

Establish a patch management program that monitors for new patches, prioritizes based on risk, and deploys efficiently.

The urgency is apparent: Verizon’s study indicates remediation takes around 32 days, and your organization can’t afford one day of downtime, let alone one month.

#7. Conduct Vulnerability Assessments & Penetration Testing

You can’t protect against unknown weaknesses. Regular vulnerability assessments provide ongoing visibility, while penetration tests offer realistic evaluations of your defenses against predetermined attackers. It’s a proactive approach to identify and address gaps before cybercriminals can exploit them.

Conduct regular, automated vulnerability scans and, at least annually or after major system changes, engage penetration testers to test against modern techniques.

This often includes red teaming, where a dedicated team simulates a real-world adversary, using multiple attack vectors to test detection and response capabilities, providing invaluable insights beyond standard pen tests. Then, you can analyze the findings and prioritize remediation based on any assessed risks.

#8. Secure Data with Encryption, Backups & Data Loss Prevention

Company data is a prized possession for cybercriminals, whether they’re after financial details, personal information, or internal trade secrets. Protecting it requires encryption, backups, and data loss prevention (DLP).

Think of encryption as your data’s invisibility cloak. Even if attackers gain access to it, strong encryption renders it unreadable and useless.

With ransomware attacks increasing, having reliable, tested backups is your lifeline. It means you’ll restore your operations without succumbing to ransom demands in the event of an attack.

DLP strategies and tools, meanwhile, are essential for ensuring sensitive information doesn’t walk out the door — accidentally or intentionally. It’s particularly relevant as employees routinely access generative AI-powered chatbots on company-issued devices, often using personal accounts, which raises the potential for data leaks.

#9. Monitor & Analyze Security Logs

Collect, store, and review event logs from systems across your IT environment, including firewalls, servers, endpoints, and applications, to detect anomalies, investigate incidents, and identify potential attack patterns.

Logs provide an audit trail, and without adequate monitoring, malicious activity goes undetected for extended periods. Proactive log analysis enables faster detection and response.

#10. Stay Informed About Emerging Threats

Cybersecurity is dynamic, so improving security posture means proactively seeking, understanding, and sharing intelligence about the latest threats. It enables you to stay informed about new attack vectors, evolving malware, and emerging social engineering tactics that attackers employ.

Beyond headline-grabbing incidents, understand the methods attackers are using. Subscribe to threat intelligence feeds from government bodies like CISA and ENISA, and regularly review industry analyses. It’s also important to follow trade publications, experts, and online communities to build your knowledge.

Every piece of information should directly inform your defense strategies, update your incident response plans, and shape the content of your security awareness training to ensure it addresses current and relevant threats.

Fortify Your Organization's Future

Strengthening your organization’s security posture takes time and is an ongoing commitment, as AI continually reshapes the threat landscape. From cultivating a deeply aware workforce and simulating real-world attacks to fortifying technical defenses and staying informed, you build layers of resilience.

The journey to a stronger security posture acknowledges that threats will always evolve.

However, a proactive approach that empowers your employees and intelligently deploys technology transforms your organization from a potential victim into a difficult target. It’s about creating a culture of security that permeates at every level, ensuring that everyone understands their role in protecting your valuable assets against the sophisticated cyberattacks of today and tomorrow.

Achieving this level of resilience and turning the vision of a security-aware culture into reality requires the right partner. Today, over 100 leading global brands trust Adaptive Security to transform their employees into their strongest line of defense and enhance security posture.