Artificial intelligence is reshaping the cybersecurity landscape. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is now warning that these developments could have consequences extending far beyond individual companies and banks. According to the IMF, AI-driven cyberattacks could evolve into a threat to global financial stability.

In a recent analysis, the IMF highlights how artificial intelligence enables more sophisticated cyberattacks to be carried out faster, at lower cost, and on a much larger scale than ever before. At the same time, the financial sector is becoming increasingly dependent on shared digital infrastructure, meaning that a single vulnerability could affect multiple organisations simultaneously.

“Cyber risk is no longer just an issue for the IT department. It is a strategic issue for executive management and boards, and ultimately a matter of societal resilience,” says Pernilla Rönn, Head of Cybersecurity at HiQ.

AI Increases the Risk of Systemic Cyberattacks

The IMF argues that AI lowers the barrier to sophisticated cyberattacks by automating the process of identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities. As a result, a wider range of threat actors can carry out attacks that previously required highly specialised technical expertise.

The IMF also warns that the financial sector’s reliance on shared platforms, cloud services and payment infrastructure increases the risk of so-called correlated attacks, where multiple organisations are affected at the same time.

The consequences could be far-reaching. Disruptions to payment systems, credit markets and other critical functions may lead to liquidity stress, loss of confidence and, in the worst-case scenario, threaten financial stability.

Resilience Becomes Critical in a Digital Society

Sweden is one of the world’s most digitalised societies. BankID, Swish and digital payments have become an integral part of everyday life for both individuals and businesses.

While this creates significant opportunities, it also increases dependence on reliable digital infrastructure.

“Much of our financial ecosystem is built on shared platforms and services. If a critical component is compromised, the consequences can spread rapidly across organisations and sectors,” says Pernilla Rönn.

Defences Must Evolve as Quickly as the Threats

AI is not only being used by attackers. The technology is also becoming an increasingly important tool for detecting intrusions, identifying anomalies and automating security operations.

However, the IMF stresses that investing in new technology alone is not enough. Organisations must also strengthen their resilience through robust governance, business continuity planning, incident management and regular stress testing.

The IMF calls for a stronger focus on resilience — the ability to withstand, respond to and recover from attacks when they occur, rather than focusing solely on prevention.

Cybersecurity as a Boardroom Issue

For businesses and organisations, these developments mean that cybersecurity must become an integral part of business strategy.

“The security of the future will not be determined solely by the technology organisations use, but by how quickly they can adapt to a threat landscape that changes in real time. Leadership teams need to view cybersecurity as a business-critical issue and invest in resilience, not just in new digital capabilities,” says Pernilla Rönn.

The IMF’s message is clear: as AI amplifies cyber threats, cybersecurity must be treated as an issue of financial stability, critical societal functions and long-term resilience — not merely as a technical IT concern.

The evolving security landscape and increasing regulatory requirements are driving growing demand for protective security across both the public and private sectors. HiQ is strengthening its offering in this area by appointing Anders Spalding as Head of Protective Security. 

Anders Spalding has a background as an intelligence officer in the Swedish Armed Forces and brings over 15 years of experience in intelligence operations and military security and counterintelligence. He has subsequently worked in protective security, both as a consultant and in a role responsible for personnel security at Bankgirot. 

– Requirements for protective security are increasing rapidly, while many organisations lack the experience and structure needed to meet them. With Anders, we are strengthening our ability to support clients in managing these demands, both operationally and strategically, says Pernilla Rönn, Head of Cybersecurity at HiQ. 

This initiative also reflects growing demand from existing clients, where security has become a more central part of operations. 

– Protective security is an area where many organisations are undergoing a shift. It is not enough to comply with regulations. Organisations also need to understand how threats emerge in practice. I look forward to contributing that perspective, says Anders Spalding. 

HiQ strengthens its position across the full security spectrum 
As total defence considerations become more prominent, an increasing number of organisations are subject to protective security legislation. This places greater demands on everything from security vetting and background checks to long-term efforts to identify and mitigate insider-related risks. 

With this appointment, HiQ strengthens its position across the full security spectrum, from cybersecurity to protective security and national security. 

– Security needs to be managed as a whole. With this initiative, we can support our clients across all areas, from information security to personnel security and physical security, says Pernilla Rönn. 

On 8 October, Sweden’s leading decision-makers and experts will gather at DI’s Tech Strategy Summit in Stockholm. There, HiQ’s business area managers Sofie Perslow (AI) and Pernilla Rönn (Cybersecurity) will lead a deep-dive session on one of today’s most pressing questions: how to balance innovation and security in the AI era.

AI is driving development at a rapid pace – but new opportunities also bring new threats. How can companies and organisations maximise AI’s potential while protecting themselves against the risks? What does it take to stay ahead, both technically and from a regulatory perspective? And how far are we really prepared to go?

In the session Cybersecurity & AI: Balancing Threats and Innovation, Sofie Perslow and Pernilla Rönn will share their insights on security strategies, regulatory pitfalls, and future perspectives on the threats and opportunities around the corner.

As a premium partner to Dagens Industri, we are proud to contribute to these important discussions on how to navigate the intersection of business value and security.

Date: 8 October 2025 (HiQ’s deep-dive session: 14:00–14:20)
Location: Vinterträdgården, Grand Hôtel, Stockholm – Tech Strategy Summit 2025
Read more about the event here: Tech Strategy Summit 2025

We look forward to a day full of inspiration and new perspectives on how we can drive safe and sustainable innovation together. See you there?

HiQ and RISE have signed a memorandum of understanding, marking the start of a close collaboration in the field of cybersecurity. The aim is to jointly advance competence development and to drive technical innovation and knowledge sharing to strengthen Sweden’s digital resilience.

The Swedish government’s recently announced SEK 1 billion (approx. EUR 90 million) investment in cybersecurity underlines the urgent need to boost resilience across society. Against this backdrop, HiQ and RISE are joining forces to combine the capabilities of Cyber Range – a testbed operated by RISE that provides a fully controlled virtual environment – with HiQ’s extensive experience in secure system development, DevOps, and connected products.

Together, the parties aim to create new opportunities for training, simulation, and knowledge exchange, while fostering collaboration between research, industry, and society.

“Through continuous exercises, training, and risk analysis, we create better conditions for organizations to prepare for and handle cyber threats in an increasingly complex reality. In Cyber Range, organizations can test their systems and develop their capabilities in a safe and isolated environment,” says Karl Resare, Business Developer for Cyber Range at RISE.

“The Swedish government’s investment shows that cybersecurity is a national priority. But resilience is built in practice. We see a strong need to build bridges between technology, operations, and education – and this collaboration is an important step in that direction. It also provides us with a fantastic opportunity to turn theory into practice together with customers and partners,” says Pernilla Rönn, Head of Cybersecurity at HiQ.

The joint work will include cybersecurity exercises and simulations, as well as the exchange of experiences, data, and insights related to threat analysis, incident management, and secure system design. It will also involve training sessions and workshops in cybersecurity for external audiences.