The Evolving Threat Landscape: 4 Ways AI is Making an Impact

In the digital transformation, AI-based cyberattacks are emerging as a significant threat. As these attacks become more advanced, cybersecurity professionals must upgrade their skills to safeguard themselves and their organizations. From AI-crafted phishing emails to realistic deepfakes, the range of these threats is broad. By understanding these techniques and their implications, cybersecurity professionals can better anticipate, detect, and counter these dangers. Here’s how AI is changing the threat landscape and how to keep your organization secure.

AI’s Role in Phishing Emails

Cybercriminals are utilizing AI’s capabilities to generate convincing phishing emails that are increasingly indistinguishable from authentic ones. Using platforms like Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT)-3.5, these actors can produce persuasive, human-like text, empowering even less sophisticated threat actors to craft phishing templates that can deceive recipients into believing malicious emails are legitimate. Traditional cybersecurity awareness training often advises staying vigilant for grammar or spelling errors, but this approach is less effective against attackers who use AI. Understanding the array of AI-driven cyberattack methods equips cybersecurity professionals to identify anomalies, proactively counter threats, and establish robust cybersecurity protocols.

Malicious Chatbots

Cybercriminals are leveraging chatbots as powerful instruments for their illicit operations. These intelligently camouflaged and highly versatile bots can gather sensitive data, carry out phishing schemes, and disseminate malware, among other functions. The sophistication of malevolent chatbots is on the rise. Whether assaulting the web page directly or through cross-site scripting, they can initiate lifelike conversations that deceive users into assuming they’re interacting with a real person. This has substantial implications for cybersecurity professionals, as organizational users may engage with chatbots and should be cautious of their legitimacy before interacting with them.

Polymorphic Malware

Polymorphic Malware is malware that is constantly changing or mutating its code to evade detection. Threat actors can use AI to develop this mutating malware quickly and effectively. Conventional methods of combating malware usually rely on identifying malicious code or patterns. However, with polymorphic malware, that approach comes up short, as attackers keep altering their code to make it nearly impossible to track. Implementing advanced detection methodologies, such as behavior-based systems, can help cybersecurity professionals to keep pace. Finally, fostering a culture of vigilance within organizations is equally important. Continuous education and awareness of the latest developments in cybersecurity can go a long way in safeguarding against the dark side of technology.

AI-generated Deepfakes

One of the most talked-about manipulations is the creation of deepfakes. These incredibly real-looking and sounding imitations created using AI are designed to mimic or impersonate real people and can be used maliciously. The power of deepfakes lies in their ability to deceive, often appearing so legitimate it is difficult for even the most sophisticated technologies to distinguish them from the real deal.

The damage inflicted by deepfakes is not just abstract; it is personal, tangible, and becoming increasingly frequent. From a company’s perspective, a successful scam can cause significant reputational damage and potential financial loss. Individually, the misuse of personal information can lead to emotional distress and identity theft. Investing time to understand how AI technologies and deepfakes work, and measures to detect and nullify them is no longer just advisable; it is a necessity.

The Human Element

While AI plays a pivotal role, human expertise remains irreplaceable. Cybersecurity professionals are essential for detecting and stopping AI-generated threats. AI has transformed the cyberthreat landscape, empowering both defenders and attackers. To maintain robust cybersecurity, organizations must leverage the latest defense strategies while recognizing the enduring importance of human cybersecurity expertise.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at KnowBe4.