Cybersecurity Policy Report, Risk of Cyber Attacks From AI Highlighted by Dutch Privacy Agency, (Jul 10, 2026)

By Tony Foley

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) is increasing the risk of cyber attacks, including a growing risk of phishing and data breaches, according to the annual review of data breaches in the Netherlands conducted by the Dutch data protection authority, Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP).

AP said in a press release that organizations must take action now to get their digital security in order to protect people’s data against cyber crime. AI enables threat actors to create and send phishing attacks that are increasingly sophisticated, it noted. Specifically, AP said, phishing messages generated by AI look increasingly realistic, are being delivered more quickly and on a larger scale, and often rely on information obtained as a result of a data breach. In addition, phishing attacks containing fake links that look genuine may lead to an employee account being taken over, which in turn may lead to a larger cyber attack on an organization.

The data breach report also highlights the proliferation of ready-made “phishing kits” that enable cyber attacks by groups lacking technical knowledge. The AP said organizations should treat digital security as a top priority rather than an afterthought. “As a director or chair of the board, you also have a social responsibility towards your customers and your staff,” said AP vice chair Monique Verdier. “And if you want to look at it from a more business-orientated perspective: the costs you’ll face following a hack are many times greater than the investment needed to get your digital affairs in order beforehand.”

News: InternationalLegislation DataSecurity DataBreach