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Former President of Microsoft Brazil Warns That AI Empowers Hackers and Cybercrime, Which Already Moves US$ 10 Trillion Per Year.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming not only businesses but also the underworld of digital crime. According to Tania Cosentino, former president of Microsoft Brazil, the technology that drives corporate innovation also serves as fuel for the growth of cybercrime — which already moves around US$ 10 trillion per year.
The alert was made during the CRM Zummit in Florianópolis, where the executive emphasized that the lack of preparation in cybersecurity is leaving companies vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated hackers.
According to Cosentino, the rapid advancement of generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, has placed unprecedented technological power in the hands of over 1.5 billion people.
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However, while 92% of companies already use AI, most risk leaders do not consider themselves prepared to deal with the threats arising from this very advancement.
The Dual Face of AI: Innovation and Threat
The enthusiasm for artificial intelligence, according to the former president of Microsoft Brazil, has turned the corporate environment into a “science fair,” where many projects are launched but few deliver concrete results. “Only 5% of AI projects are managing to generate results at scale,” she stated.
For Cosentino, the reason is simple: lack of structure. “I do not recommend that an AI project be implemented without three things: a well-designed data architecture, solid governance, and a cybersecurity foundation,” she explained.
However, the most serious risk is the misuse of technology. “AI gives hackers speed, scale, and sophistication. We are seeing vishing attacks, where an executive’s voice is cloned to request transfers, along with easily falsifiable videos and audios. We can no longer believe what we see and hear,” the expert warned.
Cybercrime Already Moves More Than Germany’s GDP
The economic impact of digital crime is enormous. Cosentino revealed that cybercrime grows between 15% and 20% per year, moving amounts that exceed double Germany’s GDP.
“If it were a country, cybercrime would be the third largest GDP in the world. We are talking about a criminal organization that earns a lot of money and lacks ethics,” she said.
She also emphasized that AI operates on both sides of this digital war.
“On the defense side, it helps monitor systems in real-time, identify patterns, and reduce false alarms. On the attack side, it automates the search for vulnerabilities and enhances social engineering techniques,” she detailed.
Brazil Among the Main Targets of Hacker Attacks
Cosentino highlighted that Brazil is one of the countries most affected by ransomware attacks, a method in which criminals kidnap data and demand ransoms in exchange for its release.
“The problem is cultural. Brazil pays the ransom, and this fuels organized crime,” she stated.
In addition to financial losses, affected companies suffer from fines imposed by the General Data Protection Law (LGPD) and reputational damage, which can take up to 100 days to recover.
According to the executive, combating criminals requires more than technology: “Cybersecurity is a team sport. It’s not enough to have the best platform; you need trained, engaged people and strong governance to integrate everything.”
Security Culture Is the New Challenge for Companies
The former president of Microsoft Brazil compared the current scenario in cybersecurity to that of industries in the 1970s, when physical security was still not a priority.
“It was necessary to create a culture of security, led from the top. That’s what we need to do now in the digital world,” she stated.
Cosentino advocates for the concept of ‘Secure by Design’ — security from the ground up. This means that every AI project, product, or campaign must be born with embedded security measures.
The cultural shift, according to her, is as important as the technology itself.
Trust: The New Digital Capital
Concluding her speech, Tania Cosentino highlighted that trust has become an essential asset in the digital environment.
“Customers give us sensitive data, and we need to handle it responsibly. If we do this, the relationship grows. Security is not a technical issue; it’s a business issue, one of the greatest risks today,” she concluded.
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