In early 2026, cyber security researchers at Google spotted an alarming new tactic emerging from cyber crime circles. Hackers were deploying a combination of AI-powered tools to create traps that were nearly impossible to defend against.
The attacks used Google’s Gemini AI tool to “develop tooling, conduct operational research, and assist during the reconnaissance stages”, before AI deepfakes were used to trick victims over spoofed Zoom calls. In one instance, a group linked to North Korea used an AI-generated deepfake of a prominent CEO to fool the victim into compromising their computer security.
