AI shrinks cyberattack timelines as attackers target AI identities, Sophos report finds

Artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating cyberattacks by significantly reducing the time required to develop and deploy malicious tools, according to a recent Sophos AI Security 2026 Report. The report says cybercriminals are using AI to streamline existing attack techniques rather than invent entirely new ones, while increasingly targeting AI identities, OAuth tokens, APIs, and development infrastructure. The findings are based on intelligence from Sophos X-Ops Managed Detection and Respons