AI is accelerating cybercrime, with nearly a third of breaches starting with software vulnerabilities, overtaking stolen passwords as the main entry point, according to Verizon's 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report. Generative AI is boosting the speed at which hackers identify weaknesses and write malware, shrinking the window for cybersecurity professionals to respond. Ransomware surged by 48% in May 2026, per Check Point Research, with education averaging 4,641 weekly attacks per organization, up 7% year-on-year. In May, convenience store chain 7-Eleven confirmed a breach after cybercriminal ShinyHunters gained unauthorized access and leaked 9.4GB of stolen records. Foxconn fell victim to extortion, with hackers claiming to have stolen over 11 million files. Anthropic suspended access to its new Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models after US authorities raised national security concerns shortly after their public release, ordering the company to restrict foreign nationals from using the tools.