AI and the Evolving Face of Social Engineering: A Call for Smarter, Connected Defense

Social engineering has evolved beyond phishing emails and fake phone calls. It’s now a data-driven intelligence operation, powered by AI’s ability to find and connect human patterns across the digital world. Attackers analyze clues from social media, public records, and dark web chatter, turning fragments of information into detailed behavioral maps of their targets.

"AI isn’t just changing the threat landscape; it’s challenging us to build smarter, faster, and more connected defenses," says Ravi Thatavarthy, Group VP and CISO at Rite Aid.

• Bridging the digital-physical divide: For years, executive protection and cybersecurity have lived in different silos. One focused on physical safety, the other on networks and identity. Thatavarthy believes it’s time to bridge that divide. "When a company’s travel plans or executive movements are public, and the same chatter surfaces on the dark web, someone needs to connect those dots before attackers do," he says.

A single social post from a family member about a trip or event can unintentionally expose sensitive information. The key is awareness—and coordination between teams that historically have different goals. When physical and cyber security teams share intelligence, organizations can identify potential risks early and act with precision.

• The road ahead: AI is changing the pace of both attack and defense. Within the next 12 to 18 months, AI-powered threats will move faster than traditional defenses can react. But it also gives us the power to build AI based adaptive defenses that learn and evolve just as quickly.

• Smarter defenses for a smarter threat: He envisions a near future where AI-assisted threat hunting and continuous behavioral monitoring are standard practice—detecting anomalies before incidents occur and providing early warning against evolving attacks.

Thatavarthy’s philosophy is simple: security must go on offense too. Threat hunting shouldn’t be optional. It’s the foundation of modern cybersecurity.

• From defense to discovery: By defining what "normal" looks like inside an organization, teams can identify what doesn’t fit. "If you don’t know what normal looks like, how will you find abnormal? The best attackers blend in. Our job is to notice what doesn’t belong." This proactive, intelligence-driven approach transforms security from a reactive unit to a strategic capability—one that measures readiness and resilience, not just response.

• Celebrate, innovate, and cover the basics: Thatavarthy encourages leaders to support emerging AI-driven startups focused on threat detection and intelligence. "Collaboration is how we stay ahead. There’s incredible innovation happening in AI for defense, and we should lean into it." But he also emphasizes the timeless fundamentals: strong authentication, solid identity management, and patching systems—those are still the table stakes. No amount of defensive strategies can replace good hygiene.

For Thatavarthy, optimism is a mindset rooted in vigilance. Every organization, regardless of size or sector, is part of the modern threat landscape. But with the right mindset and collaboration, every organization can stay ahead of it.

"The threats are real," Thatavarthy concludes, "but so is our potential to stop them."