Survey Finds Financial Firms Face More AI-Powered Attacks, Deepfakes and Vishing
Summary
A survey of 100 senior cybersecurity experts at large U.S. financial firms found 45% experienced an AI-powered cyberattack in the past year, while respondents also reported rising deepfake and vishing threats, team stress, and compliance challenges.
Key points
- Sapio Research surveyed 100 senior cybersecurity experts at U.S. financial services companies with at least 1,000 employees in April 2025.
- Forty-five percent said their financial institution experienced an AI-powered cyberattack in the previous 12 months, compared with 38% across other sectors.
- Among affected financial institutions, respondents cited sensitive or proprietary data theft (71%), reputational damage (64%), and financial loss (49%).
- In financial services, 55% reported a rise in deepfakes and 55% a rise in vishing, compared with 43% and 42% across all sectors, respectively.
- Sixty-nine percent of finance respondents said board and executive pressure to implement prevention-first security had increased.
- Nearly 60% reported higher stress; one in three SecOps leaders cited staffing or resource shortages, and 45% said AI had made regulatory compliance more complex.
Article Details
- Publisher
- Deep Instinct
- Report Period
- Survey conducted in April 2025; some findings refer to the preceding 12 months.
- Scope
- AI and cybersecurity in U.S. financial services companies with 1,000+ employees.
- Sample Size
- 100 senior cybersecurity experts from financial services companies with 1,000+ employees in the U.S.
- Key Statistics
- 45% of financial institutions reported experiencing an AI-powered cyber attack in the past 12 months, compared with 38% across other sectors.
- Among impacted financial institutions, reported consequences included theft of sensitive or proprietary data (71%), reputational damage (64%), and financial loss (49%).
- In financial services, 55% of respondents reported a rise in deepfakes and 55% reported a rise in vishing over the past year; overall figures were 43% and 42%, respectively.
- 69% of financial-sector respondents reported increased Board and C-suite pressure to implement a prevention-first security strategy.
- In 2024, nearly 60% of financial services professionals reported higher stress over the preceding year; 45% of financial services leaders said AI made regulatory compliance more complex, and 51% believed AI regulations posed a potential financial penalty.
- Recommendations
- Adopt a prevention-first security strategy rooted in preemptive data security.
- Integrate advanced AI across the security architecture to proactively defend against AI-driven threats.
- Adopt security solutions that strengthen protection without compromising compliance.