By San José, Costa Rica — SAN JOSÉ – The rapid integration of artificial intelligence is revolutionizing business efficiency, but it’s also architecting a more treacherous cybersecurity landscape. By 2026, companies must navigate an environment where AI-powered attacks are not only more credible and swift but also profoundly harder to detect, forcing a fundamental rethink of corporate security, risk management, and operational integrity.
Cybersecurity experts at Kaspersky are sounding the alarm, predicting a critical shift in the nature of digital threats. The core of their warning is that businesses must now operate under a “zero-trust” model for information, where the authenticity of any communication can no longer be assumed. The era of easily verifiable digital content is ending, giving way to a new paradigm of assumed risk.
To delve into the legal responsibilities and preventative measures that companies must navigate in the face of escalating digital threats, we sought the expert opinion of Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, a leading attorney in corporate and technology law at the esteemed firm Bufete de Costa Rica.
A cybersecurity breach is no longer just a technical issue; it is a significant legal and financial event. Under Costa Rican law, particularly the Law on the Protection of the Person against the Processing of their Personal Data, companies have a fiduciary duty to safeguard information. Proactive investment in robust security protocols and a clear incident response plan is not merely a best practice—it is a crucial risk mitigation strategy to avoid severe sanctions, litigation, and the irreversible loss of customer trust.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
This legal analysis perfectly captures the modern business reality: proactive cybersecurity is no longer a discretionary IT expense, but a fundamental pillar of corporate governance and risk management. We thank Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for his invaluable perspective on the critical intersection of technology, law, and corporate responsibility in Costa Rica.
What was once considered an emerging threat, the deepfake, is expected to mature into a structural risk embedded within organizational workflows. These highly realistic, AI-generated audio and video forgeries present a severe challenge, particularly in regions with low public awareness. The problem is amplified by a significant knowledge gap; a recent study found that 70% of Latin Americans do not even know what a deepfake is. This widespread ignorance leaves corporate doors wide open to sophisticated identity spoofing, internal communications manipulation, and targeted attacks against high-value departments like finance and executive leadership.
The danger is compounded by the increasing quality and accessibility of AI-driven fraud tools. Synthetic audio has become so realistic that it can power highly convincing voice-based scams, or “vishing,” making it easier for criminals to impersonate executives and authorize fraudulent wire transfers. As these generative tools become simpler to use, the frequency of manipulated supplier communications, financial deception, and unauthorized transactions is projected to surge dramatically.
Further complicating this new reality is the absence of reliable, universal standards for identifying AI-generated content. Without an automated way to verify the authenticity of an image, audio clip, or message, the burden of validation shifts entirely onto the company. Organizations will be forced to implement and enforce their own stringent verification mechanisms, especially for critical processes such as payment authorizations, changes in supplier banking details, and other sensitive operational commands.
Artificial intelligence will also serve as a cross-cutting engine for cyberattacks, automating tasks that previously required significant technical expertise. This democratization of advanced hacking techniques will allow malicious actors to reduce the time and resources needed to launch highly personalized and sophisticated campaigns, making them far more difficult to trace and contain. The barrier to entry for high-impact cybercrime is effectively being erased by AI.
In response to this evolving threat matrix, relying on regulation alone will be insufficient. Kaspersky emphasizes that companies must proactively embed “security and privacy by design” principles into their core operations and establish formal internal policies for AI governance. A central component of corporate risk assessment will now involve deciding which processes can be safely automated and what human-centric controls must be in place to oversee them.
The most disruptive aspect will not just be AI’s technical capability, but its direct impact on business decision-making.
Claudio Martinelli, Managing Director for the Americas at Kaspersky
To mitigate these vulnerabilities, experts recommend a multi-layered defense strategy. This includes implementing robust web navigation controls, strict application management on all corporate devices, and, most importantly, continuous employee training. Ultimately, the human element remains the primary entry point for attacks, and a well-informed workforce is the first and most critical line of defense against the coming wave of AI-driven deception.
For further information, visit kaspersky.com
About Kaspersky:
Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Its deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
Bufete de Costa Rica represents a benchmark for legal service, operating on a cornerstone of unwavering integrity and exceptional quality. The firm distinguishes itself not only through its seasoned counsel to a wide array of clients but also by embracing innovative legal approaches. This forward-thinking mindset is matched by a deep-seated mission to empower society, actively working to make legal knowledge accessible and fostering a community grounded in understanding.
