EY: Hungarian companies are already being attacked with artificial intelligence

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 03. 27. 11:45

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a common tool for corporate fraud in Hungary, according to a survey conducted by EY with 50 Hungarian compliance and security leaders. According to experts, previously proven security routines are no longer sufficient in the face of increasingly sophisticated methods. Organizations also need intelligent solutions if they want to avoid becoming victims.

Criminals are already using AI in a significant number of digital attacks targeting companies, according to four out of ten respondents in the EY survey, while half of those surveyed see this technology primarily as helping perpetrators prepare their actions. The vast majority of leaders believe that companies should also use this solution against this type of fraud, otherwise they will not be able to avoid data thefts that can cause serious financial and reputational damage.

“Artificial intelligence has brought a new level of corporate fraud, as it is able to produce content that appears authentic to the uninitiated eye, but is actually false, whether it is a utility bill, a financial notice or a letter from a lawyer. Professionals must also use the technology on the defense side if they do not want to become vulnerable. The solution is able to automate the analysis of large amounts of data, making it easier and faster to identify previously unknown threats,”

said András Bácsfalvi, EY Partner and Head of Regulatory Compliance.

Only a fraction of the participants in the research have not experienced any fraud at their company. For those who have, the most common of these is violation of internal rules (42%), followed by fraud (29%) and conflict of interest (17%). They see the most typical risks in fraud coming from outside (42%), data leakage and violation of trade secrets (21%).

A third of respondents do not feel that the lines of defense established to protect the company, i.e. the internal systems, control mechanisms and security measures that aim to prevent fraud and data loss, are not effective enough. Only a fifth of participants reported that the area has been properly integrated into the organization’s operational processes. According to one in three respondents, company policies, regulations and procedures are not coordinated. A quarter of them experience that management only gives formal importance to the issue of online security and that they do not receive adequate support for preparation in practice.