PR in the field of cybersecurity in the age of AI: the rules of the game have changed

Evgeny Pitolin, city — Almaty, founder and director of the Heartland product bureau

Just a few years ago, cybersecurity within companies looked the same everywhere: having a system administrator was already considered an achievement. He would reboot the server and install antivirus software—it seemed like everything was under control. For many, that was where the story ended.

Selling cybersecurity was difficult. Companies believed it was expensive, threats were exaggerated, and “we have nothing valuable.” If something did happen, it was easier to pay a small fine. Moreover, for a long time, there were simply no serious legislative requirements.

Hiring a SOC, building processes, and investing in protection seemed excessive and unjustified.

The situation began to change when online fraud intensified sharply. Massively and aggressively.

Significantly, cyber threats ceased to be abstract and began to directly affect businesses, people, and the state. Cybersecurity finally became popular—in the best sense of the word.

People started talking about it, buying it, and believing in it.

It seemed like the moment had arrived. But a new hero appeared in the information space. And, of course, it is artificial intelligence.

Artificial Intelligence is the New Oil

If previously people said that the new oil is data, today everyone increasingly speaks about artificial intelligence. And for PR in the field of cybersecurity, this changes almost everything.

A modern PR specialist can no longer ignore AI. They must befriend it. Understand basic principles: how models work, where they get their information, what their strengths and weaknesses are. Because the world is moving toward AI—and resisting this is pointless. It is much more useful to understand services, test them, and grasp their logic and capabilities.

At the same time, it is important to immediately clarify: AI is not a magic button. It is not “write a prompt/get perfect text/send to client.”

That’s not how it works. Any information requires verification. A good PR specialist still works with their head; they just have more tools at their disposal.

Deepfakes as a New Area of Responsibility

Another important skill is the ability to recognize deepfakes. Yes, laws and requirements for labeling AI-generated content are already emerging, but it is still unclear how quickly and effectively this will work in practice.

For a PR specialist in cybersecurity, this is critical. Photos, videos, voice—all can be forged. Any deepfake potentially carries a threat: reputational, financial, or legal. Here, it is important not only to rely on tools but also to develop visual acuity, critical thinking, and “intuition.” Sometimes the senses are the first and fastest filter.

If you used to be found on Google, now you are found in chatbots

Another major change is audience behavior. Previously, everything was simple: a user entered a query into Google and received a list of links. Today, more and more people go directly to chatbots and AI assistants. They don’t need a choice among 10 options—they need one specific answer.

This directly affects PR. Now, it is important not just to “be on the internet,” but to be understandable and visible to AI. So that models know about your company, describe it correctly, and associate it with the necessary expertise. Reputation begins to form not only for people but also for algorithms.

Crisis Management Practices Have Not Disappeared

Despite all technological advancements, there are things that do not change. Crisis situations have not disappeared. Data breaches, deepfakes, fraudulent schemes, reputational attacks—as they were, so they will remain. And, to be honest, forecasts here are not very optimistic.

AI accelerates processes—for both defenders and attackers. Therefore, PR in cybersecurity must always be in a state of readiness: respond quickly, formulate positions correctly, work with the audience’s pain and fears, without exacerbating panic, but also without ignoring the problem.

Overall, technology remains complex for the average user. Most people are not required to understand system architecture, AI working principles, or cybersecurity nuances. And it is precisely here that the key role of PR specialists in cybersecurity emerges.

They become the link between technical specialists and the audience: translating complex engineering solutions into understandable human language, explaining why this is needed, what benefits it provides, and why it is important—without unnecessary noise.