The economics of cybercrime are changing as artificial intelligence helps threat actors carry out attacks faster and at a lower cost. Ransomware incidents increased by 45% in the first half of 2026, while the average underground price for initial access fell by 69%, from $1,427 to $439.
Research from Flashpoint shows that cybercriminals are actively using AI, including malicious or jailbroken large language models, as part of their daily operations. These tools are being used to create phishing content, develop malware, identify vulnerabilities and automate target profiling.
The lower cost of launching attacks is allowing threat actors to run campaigns more frequently and target a wider range of organisations. The 45% rise in ransomware incidents during the first half of 2026 came alongside the sharp fall in initial-access prices. This shift gives cybercriminals greater scope to launch more campaigns, even when individual attacks may not necessarily become more successful.
Stolen credentials are also creating another route into organisations. Around 7.4 million hosts infected with infostealers have reportedly produced approximately 1.7 billion credentials, giving attackers a large pool of compromised access details.
The growing availability of exploit code for publicly disclosed vulnerabilities is also reducing the time organisations have to apply security patches. This is adding further pressure on security teams to identify and address weaknesses quickly.
AI can also support security automation for managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs). However, human expertise remains important for understanding context, assessing risks and making security decisions.
The changing cost structure of cybercrime suggests that AI is not only helping attackers improve their tools but is also making it easier to conduct attacks at greater speed and scale.
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