At an Axios event on June 26, 2025, policymakers and cybersecurity experts—including Rep. Eric Swalwell (D‑Calif.) and Will Hurd (R‑Texas)—emphasized that AI is significantly altering the cyber threat landscape, enabling more sophisticated and automated attacks
Swalwell framed the recent U.S. military strike on Iran as potentially the most consequential since bin Laden’s elimination in 2011, warning it could lead to cyber retaliation. He argued that CISA should issue a “shields-up” alert—similar to its response during the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict—but has not yet done so
Multiple speakers highlighted concerns over recent organizational and budgetary disruptions at CISA, suggesting these changes may impair the agency’s capacity to detect and respond to rapidly evolving, AI-enabled cyber threats .
In a sponsored segment, Mike Jabbara from Visa explained how the rise in cybercrime—fueled by AI—has increased the cost burden on both consumers and businesses, reflecting the growing economic implications of these attacks
The event concluded with a call for tighter coordination between the public and private sectors. The consensus was clear: confronting advanced, AI-driven cyber threats requires proactive readiness (“shields-up”), institutional stability within agencies like CISA, and shared threat intelligence between government and industry
SOURCE: https://www.axios.com/2025/07/03/axios-event-policy-cyber-defense-ai