Technology company HP’s latest Wolf Security report found that cybercriminals are improving their tactics with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), making cyber threats more difficult to detect and prevent.
“Attackers aren’t reinventing the wheel, but they are sharpening it,” said Alex Holland, principal threat researcher at HP Security Lab. “By blending familiar methods like phishing with stealthier delivery techniques, today’s cybercriminals are raising the bar for defenders.”
The report highlighted new techniques that make malicious activity appear genuine. These include fake PDF files that look like real invoices, malware hidden within image files, and the use of common Windows tools to disguise harmful actions and bypass security software.
These evolving threats pose serious risks for Philippine businesses, especially micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which account for 99.63% of all establishments in the country. A Cisco study found that more than half of local small and medium-sized businesses had experienced a cyberattack within a year, underscoring their exposure to online risks.
“Cybersecurity is now a growth enabler, not just a safeguard,” said Ida Evina Ong-Co, managing director of HP Philippines. “As Filipino businesses embrace AI and hybrid work, they need solutions that can anticipate threats before they strike.”
HP said it is addressing these challenges by integrating protection directly into its devices. HP Wolf Security combines self-healing firmware, AI-powered threat detection, and hardware-based safeguards to contain and analyze attacks in real time. The company said its users have clicked on more than 55 billion risky links and files with no reported breaches so far.