While cybersecurity vendors race to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into their solutions, our survey of industry journalists reveals a more nuanced story about what’s actually driving media coverage. Treble’s recent 2025 Cybersecurity Media Pulse Report finds that 53% of journalists report interest in stories related to AI-driven threats, such as deepfakes, phishing and automated attacks. These findings highlight the concerns that journalists, and by extension, the public, hold regarding AI in cybersecurity.
This creates a strategic messaging challenge ahead of Black Hat: How do organizations position AI as a solution when media is increasingly focused on AI as a threat? Understanding this dynamic is essential to ensuring your organization stands out and resonates with the media members you want to reach.
Although some organizations tout AI’s ability to autonomously identify and diagnose cybersecurity vulnerabilities, reporters are more often exploring how these advancements are simultaneously increasing the number of attack vectors. This creates an ongoing dilemma as the technology that empowers defenders also equips attackers with more potent weapons. The dual nature of this technology is not a surprise to industry experts, but it remains to be seen whether defensive advantages will outweigh the increased threats. Reporters may seek out industry leaders who offer a skeptical viewpoint of common trends.
For example, one industry expert introduces a more cautious perspective, reminding stakeholders that AI is still in its early stages of growth. He emphasizes that because language learning models are prediction engines and function as a “clever autocorrect,” the cybersecurity industry may be overly optimistic about its defensive capabilities. This opinionated assessment may resonate with journalists seeking more balanced perspectives on the topic.
AI as an Amplifier: The Rise of Sophisticated Threats
Cybersecurity reporters are particularly focused on how AI amplifies existing threats. Based on our survey findings, several specific threat categories consistently generate significant media interest.
While doubts persist about AI’s immediate ability to enhance cybersecurity defenses, there is clear and alarming evidence that AI can exacerbate existing threats. AI advancement has led to an amplification of API vulnerabilities, with API breaches increasing significantly year over year. Some experts claim that agentic AI may be escalating the risks of API-related attacks due to its constant, autonomous nature and configuration with third-party integrations. These integrations produce multiple new entry points for malicious actors, which may rely on inadequate authentication methods. Cybersecurity reporters are keen to explore how these evolving API threats are impacting businesses and what the industry is doing to respond, often looking for case studies of high-profile breaches.
Similarly, the increasing number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices across various industries heightens vulnerabilities and demands advanced cybersecurity measures. With more interconnected devices and expanding attack surfaces, traditional security methods often fall short, requiring AI-driven defense mechanisms to keep pace with AI-powered threats. Reporters are seeking stories that highlight the real-world implications of these growing vulnerabilities, particularly in critical infrastructure and consumer privacy, as well as the innovative solutions emerging to address them.
AI is also escalating deepfake capabilities, expanding avenues for cybersecurity attacks. For example, recent malicious actors impersonated Secretary of State Marco Rubio with AI-generated voice and text messages. AI has enabled extreme sophistication of deepfake videos and audio, allowing for highly targeted attacks that can lead to fraudulent financial transactions, widespread disinformation campaigns and severe reputational damage. This expanding area of cybercrime is of significant interest to reporters, who are tracking the latest deepfake incidents, their use in social engineering and their broader societal impact on trust and information integrity.
Finally, rapid cloud adoption, while offering immense benefits, is simultaneously emerging as a new and critical threat vector, particularly with the rise of AI-enabled cloud attacks. The scalability and distributed nature of cloud environments, combined with the power of AI, create new challenges for visibility, configuration management and real-time threat detection. Cybersecurity journalists are closely following how organizations are grappling with these new cloud-based threats, often seeking out experts who can explain the complexities of securing vast, AI-integrated cloud infrastructures and the potential for widespread data exposure.
These examples depict a cybersecurity future characterized by increased complexity and new attack vectors enabled by emerging technologies. Dialogue surrounding cybersecurity is increasingly spilling into the public domain as doubts regarding the safety and security of new technology surface. As the industry anticipates discussions at events such as Black Hat, it's clear that addressing this evolving threat landscape also means understanding broader trends that capture public attention.
Cybersecurity Media Trends to Watch Ahead of Black Hat
In conjunction with emerging threats, our media survey found that journalists are most interested in cyber hygiene, consumer awareness and government regulations and policy developments. For example, the European Commission recently released a proposal for the first European Union Space Act, which may impact cybersecurity risk-management requirements for space-based services. The cybersecurity media industry is interested in how these regulatory shifts will influence global security postures and the adoption of new technologies to counter evolving threats.
Understanding these threats and positioning your organization to address these topics proactively will enable your messaging to stand out. Solidifying your organization as a leader in cybersecurity will require forward thinking on the capabilities of new technology, as well as consideration of public perception and regulatory impacts.
Partnering for Proactive Cybersecurity Communications
Effective public relations and targeted media engagement are crucial for cybersecurity companies to stand out, communicate their value and navigate industry challenges. Treble maintains decades of experience working in cybersecurity, and our experts are prepared to advise you on best practices for your media strategy. Download our 2025 Cybersecurity Media Pulse Report to gain deeper insights into the trends shaping cybersecurity coverage and learn how to effectively position your organization in this dynamic environment.
If you’re curious about how your company stacks up, book a quick call with Treble Senior Vice President Matt Grant, and we’ll share a free competitive media analysis, customized just for you.