AI-Enhanced Cybersecurity: A Comprehensive Review of Techniques and Challenges

The rapid growth of digital technology has made advanced techniques necessary to protect confidential data from cyber threats. This review looks at the key features and benefits of using artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity and stresses its importance. Traditional cybersecurity methods are not enough to handle advanced and fast-changing cyber threats. Modern cyber problems deal with the large volume, variety, and speed of attacks, leading to delayed responses and higher rates of false positives and negatives. According to Astra Security [1], about 33 billion accounts were breached in 2023, costing an estimated $8 trillion. Thus, there is an urgent need to incorporate AI into cybersecurity. AI and machine learning are becoming crucial in fighting cyber threats. AI can effectively tackle pressing cybersecurity issues. This paper provides an overview of AI's role in cybersecurity, the key features of AI-enhanced defenses, and discusses the challenges, limitations, and ethical and legal considerations of AI in cybersecurity. By integrating these features, AI-enhanced cybersecurity can better defend against various cyber threats, ensuring a more secure and robust IT environment. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.