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In the April edition of Economy Today, Steffen Oliver Scheibler, Operational Security Manager at Freedom24, shares his perspective on how cybersecurity threats are evolving and what organizations often overlook. As digital operations expand across Europe, understanding where real risks lie is becoming critical not only for IT teams, but for businesses as a whole. 🔍 “The biggest threat is still people being tricked, not systems being magically broken. Phishing, impersonation, stolen credentials, fake urgency, fake authority — same old methods.” Scheibler explains that while the core tactics remain unchanged, AI has significantly increased both the scale and effectiveness of attacks. “AI hasn’t reinvented cybercrime, but it has industrialised it and it's allowing small criminal enterprises to launch campaigns previously only possible for very larger ones.” He also highlights that many organizations are not as prepared as they believe. “Most organisations are aware of these threats, but awareness alone doesn’t stop them.” Instead, real resilience depends on structured processes such as verification protocols, controlled access, and tested incident response strategies. According to Scheibler, overconfidence and lack of consistent verification remain key vulnerabilities, especially in high-pressure or urgent situations. Looking at the role of AI in defence, he notes that its impact is already significant but often misunderstood. “AI is useful, and in many cases already essential, but it’s not a miracle solution.” He emphasizes that its main strength today lies in speed, helping teams detect and respond faster rather than fully preventing attacks. At the same time, he points out that “AI strengthens defence when it’s used well, but it also strengthens attackers when they use it well,” underlining how it is raising the pace and scale of cybersecurity on both sides. 🔗 Read more in Economy Today