Cyber Brief:AI Security and Persistent Configuration Gaps

Organisations continue to face a fast-evolving threat landscape, with new standards emerging to address AI security, increasing automation in cyber attacks, and continued exploitation of exposed systems. Today’s roundup highlights why secure design, visibility, and proactive controls remain critical as technology adoption accelerates.

New European Standard Sets Baseline for AI Cybersecurity

A new European cybersecurity standard has been published to establish baseline security requirements for artificial intelligence systems. The standard focuses on securing AI throughout its full lifecycle, from design and development through deployment and retirement. It outlines principles covering secure configuration, resilience against manipulation, and protection of training data and models.

The guidance aims to help organisations adopt AI responsibly while reducing the risk of emerging attack techniques such as model poisoning, data manipulation, and unauthorised access to AI-driven decision systems.

Why it matters
As AI becomes embedded into business-critical processes, weaknesses in its design or deployment can introduce new and less visible risks. A recognised baseline gives organisations a practical starting point for building confidence in AI-enabled systems while supporting future regulatory and assurance requirements.

Source: European standards body

Security Leaders Warn of Increasingly Automated Cyber Attacks

Cybersecurity experts are warning that threat actors are increasingly using automation and artificial intelligence to scale attacks more efficiently. These tools are being used to accelerate reconnaissance, identify misconfigurations, and launch attacks with minimal manual effort.

While AI is also strengthening defensive capabilities, attackers are benefiting from faster attack cycles and greater reach, increasing the importance of detection, monitoring, and response capabilities that can keep pace.

Why it matters
Automation reduces the barrier to entry for attackers and shortens the time between vulnerability discovery and exploitation. Organisations relying solely on reactive controls may struggle to respond quickly enough without proactive testing and continuous improvement of their security posture.

Source: Security industry commentary

Exposed Databases Continue to Be Targeted by Data-Wiping Attacks

Reports this week highlight continued attacks against exposed database services, where automated scripts are used to delete data and leave ransom demands. These attacks typically exploit systems that are publicly accessible without strong authentication or network controls.

Once data is wiped, recovery is often only possible if secure backups are available, making configuration management and backup strategies a critical line of defence.

Why it matters
Misconfigured systems remain one of the most common and preventable causes of security incidents. Regular reviews, secure configuration baselines, and validation testing can significantly reduce the likelihood of opportunistic attacks succeeding.

Source: Cybersecurity research reporting

Today’s Key Actions

• Review how AI systems are designed, deployed, and monitored across your organisation
• Validate that security controls can detect and respond to automated attacks
• Check exposed services and databases for unnecessary public access
• Ensure backups are secure, tested, and isolated from production systems

Secarma Insight

Cybersecurity challenges are increasingly shaped by automation and emerging technologies, but the fundamentals remain the same. Secure design, visibility, and regular validation are key to reducing risk and supporting long-term resilience. Proactive testing and advisory support help organisations identify weaknesses early and strengthen their security posture with confidence.

If you’d like to discuss how these developments apply to your organisation, get in touch with the Secarma team:
https://secarma.com/contact