Category Archives: Data Backup

How Is AI Used Against Your Employees

AI against Employees
Cybersecurity, Data Backup, Security, , , ,

Artificial intelligence has evolved dramatically, and the improvements are evident. In one of its first applications, AI was used to develop a checkers program. It was a monumental achievement at the time but seems so simplistic compared to today’s AI applications. AI is an everyday tool behind many ordinary things like virtual assistants, autonomous vehicles, and chatbots. Because of this AI is now used against your employees if they are not aware.

The Dark Side of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI has become so advanced that it is often difficult to fathom whether something is real or AI-generated. When you attempt to distinguish between real photos taken by your friend and those produced by an AI photo app, it can be quite amusing. However, this could turn dangerous, especially when hackers use it to target employees. The goal is to infiltrate a company’s system or steal confidential data. And what’s alarming is that there are several ways that this can be done.

Using AI Chatbots for Phishing Campaigns Against Employees

There used to be a time when phishing emails were easily distinguishable because of their glaring grammatical errors or misplaced punctuation marks. But with AI-powered chatbots, hackers can now generate almost flawlessly written phishing emails. Not only that, but these messages can also be personalized, making it more likely for the recipient to fall victim, as they won’t suspect that the email is fake.

CEO Fraud and Executive Phishing

This is not an entirely new method of social engineering. However, it has had a much higher success rate since generative AI tools emerged, making the phishing campaign more effective. In this type of phishing attack, hackers send out emails that look like they came from the CEO or some other high-ranking official. Most employees will not question this type of authority, especially since the message looks authentic, complete with logos and signatures.

Using AI Deepfake to Create Deceptive Videos Against Employees

Many people are aware by now that emails can easily be faked. With the prevalence of phishing scams and similar cyberattacks, we now tend to be more vigilant when reading through our inboxes. But videos are a different thing. As the saying goes, to see is to believe. If there is a video, it must be real. There is no need to verify because it is in front of your eyes, so they would willingly volunteer sensitive information, grant unauthorized access, or whatnot. However many employees don’t realize that AI is so advanced that even these videos can now be fabricated using Deepfake technology.

What You Can Do To Keep Your Employees and Your Business Safe

Hackers are taking advantage of AI technology to execute their attacks. We can only expect these strategies to become even more aggressive as AI continues to advance. But at the same time, there are steps you can take to increase safety for your business and your employees.

AI Cybersecurity Training for Employees

Awareness is key to mitigating the risks brought by AI-based attacks. With regular cybersecurity training, you can maintain employee awareness, help them understand how AI attacks work, and equip them with the knowledge to pinpoint red flags in suspicious emails.

Limit Access to Sensitive Information

Employees should always be on a need-to-know basis with the company’s sensitive information to minimize the damage in the event of a data breach. The less they know, the less the cybercriminals can get out of them.

Use AI-Powered Security Solutions

When it comes to AI, two can play the game. Cybercriminals may use AI to penetrate your system, but you can also use AI to detect such threats from a mile away. The important thing is to stay a couple of steps ahead of the enemy by ensuring that experts equip your security system with the most advanced AI tools to protect your organization and your employees.

Partner with an AI Security Expert

There is a plethora of AI tools widely available to anyone, and many of these are even free. But if you want to have the most secure system possible, we strongly recommend that you seek the help of experts in AI technologies. They can give you access to the most advanced AI tools and systems. On top of that, they can customize security strategies to align with your goals.

To learn more about what you can do, watch our on-demand webinar or download our Cybersecurity E-book.

AI technology has become so powerful that it can sometimes be scary. But with the right security solutions in place, your business and your employees can stay safe. If you are ready to take the step towards higher security and more robust protective measures, let us know. We will hook you up with an expert MSP fully capable of catering to your security needs.

How Do Hackers Use AI?

How Hackers Use AI
Cybersecurity, Data Backup, Phishing, Security, , , ,

Artificial intelligence has been a key ingredient in propelling businesses forward—creating better customer engagement, cutting response times, providing client-specific solutions, and more. But hackers have also had access to the same innovative technology: AI. While businesses use it to improve their operations, hackers have also been busy using AI technology to advance their illicit activities.

In 2022, there were 1,802 separate data breach incidents, compromising 425 million records. In 2023, there were 2,116 security incidents by October, surpassing the previous year’s numbers with still two months left. Using AI plays a huge role in the drastic rise of data breaches and other cybersecurity attacks. In this article, we will look at how hackers use AI to target and attack businesses.

Creating Convincing Phishing Emails

Hackers have found that generative AI tools are a fast and efficient way to churn out realistic phishing emails that can easily convince unwitting victims to reveal sensitive information. Using AI, it is now easy to create targeted emails that look so real that most people won’t suspect they are fake. Hence, even the more cautious employees now have a higher chance of becoming victims, ultimately exposing the business to cyber criminals.

Even the language barrier doesn’t help because of AI. Before, poor grammar and punctuation were immediate red flags for a phishing email. But now, AI technology has become fluent in so many languages that the text, regardless of the language, is almost flawless. Unless one is extremely vigilant, they will not find the threat. What’s even more alarming is that these phishing emails contain not only credible text, but many of them also include images, videos, and other media, which further adds to the genuine look of the email.

Generating Realistic Images and Other Media

Many of us have had fun and amusement with AI-generated images and videos—you know, those apps that create all sorts of versions of your picture. Some can even animate a photo and add sound to make it look like it is talking or singing. It’s all very entertaining, but hackers have quickly seen a different angle to this. Many of them have used these kinds of AI-generated media for illicit purposes.

For instance, you might receive a video call from one of your contacts on Messenger. You think you see them when you answer the call, but what you see is an AI-generated video clip of them trying to converse with you. This makes them more believable to the victim, who does not realize that hackers created it through AI.

How Hackers Use AI with Automating Attacks 

AI software makes it easy for hackers to identify loopholes in a company’s security with hardly any effort. It can detect easily penetrable networks or flawed security systems. By unleashing this software all at once, multiple businesses are targeted, and the hackers will have a higher chance of a successful attack.

How Hackers Use AI By Designing Undetectable Malware

AI-generated malware can easily pass through the strictest security systems without tripping the alarms. Unlike previous malware forms, they equip those designed and created with artificial intelligence with extra features that shield them from the most watchful cybersecurity tools.

To avoid detection, these AI-equipped malware change their code or their behavior so that they do not arouse suspicion. Once this software gets through, it’s business as usual for the hackers to access the network as they please.

Getting Past Biometric Systems

Biometrics are highly secure, especially when compared to passwords. Because these security systems muse fingerprints and voice prompts, we assume only authorized employees can access their accounts. But then AI came along. With the ability to make remarkable copies of fingerprints and voiceprints, advanced AI technology enables hackers to deceive biometric systems.

Launching Elaborate Phishing Campaigns

Creating phishing emails is just one step in a phishing campaign, but all the other steps are now much easier with artificial intelligence. It begins with analyzing data from online sources, which is now done with AI algorithms. With access to such information, hackers will know the weaknesses of specific targets, enabling them to tailor the phishing attack accordingly. This makes the attack more likely to succeed. It seems like more work, but because it is all done with AI, it’s much easier for the hackers.

As you can see, there are countless ways that hackers use AI to hack into businesses. Awareness and understanding of these tactics are crucial for companies to protect themselves against these new forms of hacking.

With the help of an MSP that specializes in cybersecurity, you can keep your network safe and all your information intact. If you need to level up your cybersecurity system and stay one step ahead of the hackers, call us today. We will give you a free consultation, and then we can start fortifying your company’s security system. Download our E-book today which talks about the cybersecurity role of AI in security.

Top Mistakes to Avoid When Training Staff on Cybersecurity

Training Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity, Data Backup, Security, , ,

As technology continues to advance, so do the techniques used by hackers. We must keep up with their evolving strategies to keep our systems protected. To do this, regular cybersecurity training of employees is a must. Studies show that an effective training method can reduce vulnerability to phishing and similar attacks from 60% to 10% within a year.

7 Common Mistakes in Cybersecurity Training

You can do many things to get the most out of each training session. But today, we will focus on what you should NOT do because they are counterproductive to the training. Here are the top mistakes you should avoid.

Boring Training Sessions

If the training comprises text-heavy slide shows with someone just reading out loud, then you can’t blame your employees for nodding off in the first few minutes. Not only will they lose interest, but they will also gain absolutely nothing from the training. Instead, use a more engaging approach. Replace text with visuals. Encourage interactive discussions. Have some group work.

Same Program for Everyone

In any organization, members have varying skill levels. With cybersecurity, some employees might be more aware of the latest trends. Others might not even know what phishing is. So a one-size-fits-all cybersecurity training program is bound to fail. You need to address everyone’s level and train them accordingly.

One-Time Workshop

Many still believe that compressing all the key learning areas into one big training session will work, but it will not. You can squeeze as much value as possible into a single session, but there should be a follow-up. Better yet, there should be a series of follow-ups. Ongoing reinforcement is one of the best methods for making any lesson stick.

Focusing on In-Office Cybersecurity Training

Yes, it is important to practice online safety while in the office. But most companies today have employees in a hybrid work setup or working full-time from home. With this being the new norm, the training program must also address mobile security.

Insufficient Leadership Support in Cybersecurity Training

We always say that children emulate the behavior of their parents. The same goes for employees and their superiors. Whatever the staff is learning, the top executives must be as well.

Leaving out Incident Response Training

Prevention is indeed better than cure. However, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about handling cyberattacks when they happen. Employees need to know what actions to take in the event of a data breach to prevent the damage from escalating further.

Lack of Proper Assessment

Cybersecurity training does not end when the facilitator gives their last remarks. You must test the participants on what they have learned with these efficient assessment methods. It could be standard question-and-answer tests or random phishing simulations to check if and how the employees will apply what they have learned.

Final Thoughts on Cybersecurity Training

Before you take your staff on their next cybersecurity training, keep these mistakes in mind and avoid them at all costs. Plan the training program so it can deliver maximum impact. Better yet, you can use a tried-and-tested program created by established and trusted cybersecurity experts to train your staff. That is something that we can help you with.

It pleases us to present the latest tool in employee cybersecurity training—our very own microtraining platform. This method tackles all the important aspects of online security, from threat identification to incident response and everything in between. If you are interested in learning more, we have a demo of the platform that you can download by clicking right here. 

The Top 7 Mobile Security Threats to Address in Your BYOD Policy

Mobile Security Threats
Cybersecurity, Data Backup, Security, , , , ,

BYOD or Bring Your Own Device is a modern practice where employees use their personally owned gadgets – smartphones, laptops, tablets, or whatnot – for work. This is opposed to the traditional method of using company-issued equipment exclusively for work stuff which can have mobile security threats.

The BYOD policy has several perks, such as more flexibility in remote work, a healthier balance between work and personal life, and reduced equipment expenses. However, some challenges arise from this practice, particularly in terms of business mobile security threats.

When employees use the same device for all their dealings, this could create several mobile security threats that the company must address in the BYOD policy. Here are seven of the top threats and our recommended solutions.

Mobile Security Threats – Device Theft

In the event of stolen or lost devices, unknown entities could have unauthorized access to sensitive information stored on the device. To guard against these mobile security threats, there must be a way to delete data from the device remotely.

Malware Infection

Malware can quickly lead to a data breach and security problems. Your company can avoid this if all personally owned devices have reliable, updated antivirus software to guard against malware infection.

Unsecured Wi-Fi

Encryption is necessary for maintaining the confidentiality and security of data, so most work and home networks have this. However, public hotspots are common for mobile security threats. If you need to connect to an uncertain network, use a VPN to guarantee data security.

Mobile Security Threats – Phishing

People are more relaxed when using their mobile phones than when they use a company computer. Because of this, many are prone to becoming victims of phishing attacks. Constant reminders would help instill a natural sense of caution in employees.

Outdated Device

Not all employees are gadget fanatics who would immediately fall in line when the newest iPhone is released. Many would stick to their old gadgets until they fell apart. While we might applaud their frugality, outdated devices can put corporate and personal data at high risk with mobile security threats. You can state in your BYOD policy that there must be a mandatory regular upgrade of all devices employees wish to use for work.

Risky Apps

Personal phones and laptops often contain games or other apps that might not be completely secure. These apps sometimes request permissions that could put your device’s contents at risk. To avoid these risks, the BYOD policy must prohibit the installation and use of these unverified apps.

Encrypted Data

When sending digital correspondence from a work computer, all data is automatically encrypted to keep it confidential. Public hotspots and some home networks might not have sufficiently secure levels of encryption, which will compromise your data. Mandatory use of proper encryption before sending out any business data will help prevent such compromises.

Creating Your BYOD Policy to Prevent Mobile Security Threats

If it is your first time drafting a BYOD policy for your company, it can get intimidating, considering all the issues that need to be addressed. For instance, the mobile threats we have listed above are just some of the potential problems you would have to deal with, and we are sure you would think of more as you go along.

To ensure you do not forget any crucial aspect, we strongly recommend you use the BYOD policy template we have created specifically for this purpose. It is a comprehensive but concise document, including everything from permitted devices and security specifications to restrictions and sanctions. Of course, you can customize it as you see fit by adding or removing items to make it appropriate for your organization’s security goals. Call us now if you need additional help!