If you can’t beat Ai ...

The "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" argument for AI adoption is not merely as a tool for convenience, but as a critical defensive necessity. Attackers are increasingly using AI agents for end-to-end automation of attacks—from the rapid breach of cloud environments to sophisticated phishing campaigns against Microsoft 365. This escalation, compounded by vulnerabilities like prompt injection tricking AI agents into making unauthorized payments, underscores Hexagon Center’s core message: understanding AI mechanics is no longer optional but fundamental to raising one's "cyber smarts." To bridge this knowledge gap, the Center is aggressively pushing educational initiatives via their HexagonPSA platform to help the public build the instincts required to counter these automated, AI-driven threats.

AuthorAuthorAuthor

Daniel Masterson, Ai Courtrie Buson & Bard Gee
July 10, 2026

HX Weekly
by Hexagon Center

for the week of July 5, 2026, 129th edition

Subscribe at hexagoncenter.org

☝️ TWA

Can’t beat Ai? Join it!

Let’s face it, it’s everywhere and it’ll probably get bigger yet — if it’s even possible. If you’re not using any form of Ai right now, you will. And you should. Because they are being used against you.

🤷‍♀️ What now?: Learning about Ai and what it does will raise your cyber smarts and instincts.

Tools: Tools: HexagonPSA was created to educate the public on cybersecurity and cyber threats. Follow Hexagon Center wherever you are.

The 129th edition of HX Weekly argues for AI adoption as a critical defensive necessity, not just for convenience. It outlines a threat landscape where attackers increasingly use AI agents for end-to-end automation of attacks, from rapid cloud breaches to sophisticated phishing campaigns against Microsoft 365. Vulnerabilities like prompt injection tricking AI agents into unauthorized payments further emphasize the importance of understanding AI mechanics to raise “cyber smarts.” Hexagon Center is aggressively pushing educational initiatives via our HexagonPSA platform to help the public build the instincts required to counter these automated, AI-driven threats.

about this edition and Inside Hexagon

Ai is increasingly being utilized by attackers due to its significant success and advantages. To combat this threat, we must learn and leverage Ai to our advantage.

Where we are writing it, we are writing it as “Ai” instead of “AI.” This week, we worked on expanding Hexagon Center’s PSA to even more social media platforms. We are releasing previously released PSA there every 5 hours, while YouTube continues to release never-before-seen PSA by HexagonPSA every 7 hours.

The 129th edition of HX Weekly highlights the urgent necessity of adopting Ai for defensive purposes, as threat actors are increasingly leveraging it to automate end-to-end attacks, including rapid cloud breaches, phishing campaigns, and prompt injection exploits against Ai agents. Because these Ai-driven threats are becoming rampant, Hexagon Center emphasizes that understanding Ai mechanics is essential for developing the "cyber smarts" and instincts required to counter such adversaries. To support this, the Center has expanded its HexagonPSA educational initiative, now releasing cybersecurity content across various social media platforms and YouTube to help the public learn how to leverage Ai to their own advantage.

- HX Weekly Team
HOUSEKEEPING

Glossary/Legend:

  • Zero Trust - a strategic cybersecurity framework based on the principle of "never trust, always verify," requiring strict identity authentication and authorization for every user and device, whether inside or outside the network perimeter. It assumes breach, removes implicit trust, and employs granular, least-privilege access controls to protect resources. 

  • Holistic security - a comprehensive strategy that integrates various protection layers—physical, digital, psycho-social, and organizational—to safeguard individuals, communities, or systems, recognizing that true security involves overall well-being, not just isolated technical defenses.

  • MFA - Multi-Factor Authentication is a security process that requires users to provide two or more verification methods to access an account or system.

  1. Personal Identifier - A unique word or phrase shared exclusively with an individual or a group, serving as a means of identification and affirmation within the established relationship. It is recommended that 2 or more Personal Identifiers be established per person.

  2. Malware (short for malicious software) - refers to any intrusive software developed by cybercriminals (often called hackers) to steal data and damage or destroy computers and computer systems.

  3. Ransomware - A type of malware that locks or encrypts a victim's files and demands a ransom payment to unlock and decrypt them. Ransomware can infect a variety of devices, including computers, smartphones, printers, and more.

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