Consider This from NPR AI is transforming crime, too
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Nov 26, 2025 Cooper Katz McKim, a producer and reporter for The Indicator from Planet Money, explores how AI is revolutionizing cybercrime. He reveals how AI tools enable faster and cheaper hacking, making breaches increasingly common. McKim discusses the alarming rise of AI-driven phishing scams that personalize targets using their data. He highlights how ransomware is becoming a service, making it easier for criminals. Ultimately, he warns that these developments lower entry barriers for crime, necessitating robust systemic defenses.
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Report Began With Personal Anxiety
- Cooper Katz McKim began the investigation after seeing daily news of data breaches and feeling anxious about their frequency.
- That personal concern prompted deeper reporting into why breaches are rising.
AI Turns Password Dumps Into Instant Keys
- AI automates and massively speeds up credential testing, turning a pile of stolen passwords into usable access in hours instead of days.
- Cooper Katz McKim explains criminals can now scale breaches with less skill and much greater efficiency.
Spear-Phishing Got Surgical And Fast
- AI can produce high-quality, personalized spear-phishing at scale by scraping cadence, messaging style, and other personal signals.
- Stuart Madnick and Cooper warn this makes targeted scams far more convincing and quicker to produce.