The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) asserts that despite artificial intelligence amplifying cyber threats, foundational cybersecurity defenses remain the most effective countermeasure. Jason Bilnoski, Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI's cyber division, stated on March 10, 2026, that both criminal organizations and nation-state actors are leveraging AI to their advantage. However, Bilnoski emphasized that the fundamental stages of cyberattacks persist, even as AI dramatically increases their speed and scale. The FBI contends that implementing well-established security protocols, rather than new AI-specific defenses, offers the best protection against these accelerated threats. This perspective underscores that while the pace of malicious activity has escalated due to AI integration, the core methodologies exploited by adversaries have not fundamentally shifted. Practitioners should therefore prioritize robust incident response, patching, access controls, and security awareness training to fortify their networks. The FBI's position on nation-state activity shifts the threat model beyond typical criminal enterprise, demanding a comprehensive geopolitical risk assessment and a more robust defense strategy from organizations1.