Tag Archives: Business security

Emerging Threat: AI-Powered Social Engineering

AI Social Engineering
Cybersecurity, Security, Technology, , , ,

Artificial intelligence has brought many advantages to different aspects of modern life. This new technology allows for the fast and accurate analysis of massive amounts of data. It can eliminate task redundancy and minimize human error. Businesses have benefited from this powerful tool, as it enables them to accomplish more while using fewer resources. However, AI-powered social engineering also brings with it a plethora of new security risks.

It is an impressive bit of technology, but it is not perfect, and hackers take advantage of its vulnerabilities for their malicious purposes. Also, it didn’t take long for cybercriminals to figure out how to leverage AI tools, especially with social engineering.

What Is Social Engineering?

Before we bring AI into the picture, let us first talk about what social engineering is and why it is considered by many to be one of the most dangerous security threats.

It is the use of manipulative or deceptive tactics to entice unwitting victims to do something they won’t normally do, like divulging sensitive information or confidential data, granting access to unauthorized entities, or performing other actions that compromise the company’s security.

Social engineering comes in many forms, the most prevalent of which is phishing. Other methods are pretexting, baiting, and CEO fraud. When using these strategies, hackers bank on human error or weaknesses in human nature. It has always been a very effective method of hacking, but now, with powerful AI tools, social engineering has climbed to an entirely new level.

AI-Powered Social Engineering Techniques

Generative AI tools have taken on much of the challenge that hackers used to face with social engineering. Through a range of AI algorithms, the techniques can now be implemented faster, more efficiently, and on a much wider scale than ever before.

Personalized Phishing Campaigns

Before AI, phishing emails had a generic look. They would not immediately draw your attention because it looks like something standard or random. But with AI, hackers can now create highly personalized and more convincing phishing messages that are more likely to get a response from the recipients. They can gather and analyze huge amounts of data from all over the internet, which helps make the emails seem credible.

Voice and Facial Recognition

It’s certainly fun to play with apps that give you AI-generated likenesses of your photos. However, hackers will use the voice and facial recognition technology in these AI apps for their social engineering schemes. You might have a video call from someone you know, not realizing that you are talking to an AI-generated video of them. Hackers can easily do this using Deepfake technology, which not only manipulates images but audio as well.

Automated Social Media Manipulation

Another capability of AI that hackers find extremely useful is to emulate human behavior. Through data analysis and machine learning, AI can create fake social media profiles, which can then spread fake news or sway public opinion. Even worse, hackers can automate all of this so it can happen quickly and result in far-reaching disastrous consequences.

Social Engineering Chatbots

When live chat features came into use, customers would chat with a live person in real time. An actual customer service representative answered your questions or would assist you with whatever concern you had. But these days, it’s likely that you are only talking to a chatbot, which can give very human-like responses. Hackers use similar chatbots, except, instead of providing information, their main goal is to gather data or deceive unsuspecting individuals.

How to Keep Threats at Bay

There is no way to stop cybercriminals from using AI tools for their malicious gain, especially since these tools have proven to be very effective. Despite the rising instances of AI-powered social engineering, you can take proactive measures to keep your business secure.

Education and Awareness

Ai-powered or not, social engineering tactics are highly reliant on human negligence. So it makes sense to keep these threats under control through constant education and awareness. Businesses must conduct regular training to keep employees updated on the latest cybersecurity threats and to remind them to stay vigilant and never let their guard down.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

The more layers of security you have, the harder it will be for hackers to get into your system, even if they use the most advanced AI algorithms. Multi-factor authentication gives hackers an extra hurdle to overcome when they try to get into your system.

AI-Powered Security Solutions 

If hackers are using AI to boost their social engineering game, there is no reason you shouldn’t use AI to enhance your company’s security solutions. With artificial intelligence, it is a two-way street. You can either fear it or use it to your advantage. If implemented properly, an AI-powered cybersecurity system can give you an impeccable defense against any attack that online criminals might throw your way.

Final Thoughts on AI-Powered Social Engineering

There are multiple ways that cybercriminals can leverage AI tools for their social engineering strategies. But there are just as many ways by which you can build a formidable defense against these attacks. To learn more about what you can do, download our Cybersecurity E-book. Call us anytime so we can send you more information or schedule a free consultation!

Why Businesses Should Be Concerned about AI and Cyber Attacks

Ai and cyber attacks
Cybersecurity, Security, Technology, , , ,

Hacking methodologies have improved over the years. The moment a new IT program or algorithm becomes known, cybercriminals are right on it, immediately looking for ways to use these developments to their advantage. This is especially true in the realm of AI and cyber attacks.

While artificial intelligence has long been part of daily computing, recent advancements like generative AI chatbots have become a playground for hackers. Despite having robust cybersecurity strategies, many business owners may underestimate the potential threats posed by AI and cyber attacks.

A Rise in Security Risks for Businesses Because of AI

Thanks to AI tools, what used to be impossible is now very easy. Writing content, generating code, and analyzing data—an untrained employee with just a few clicks can do even so. For sure, businesses can save a lot of time, energy, and staff by using these tools. But since these same tools are also accessible to hackers, businesses will face harsh security risks because of AI and cyber attacks.

Using AI Tools to Launch Attacks on Companies

Hackers have found so many ways to use AI tools to launch cyber attacks. We have already discussed this in our previous two blogs, so we will no longer go into detail. However, some of the most notable applications cybercriminals have found for AI are for writing phishing emails that look very real, tracking keyboard inputs, analyzing online data, cracking passwords, and launching automated and simultaneous attacks.

AI has basically eliminated the need for superior programming skills to be a successful hacker. Hackers can do most of the tasks within seconds, with the right strategy and using the right AI algorithms.

So now that hackers are actively using AI as a tool to penetrate even the most foolproof systems, it is not the time for companies to sit back and relax. Instead, businesses should upgrade their cybersecurity systems, ensuring that they update them enough to protect against AI-powered security risks.

Attacking Vulnerable Businesses with AI Systems

The widespread use of AI systems by businesses, which is understandable, is another factor contributing to the increase in cyber attacks. With the benefits these systems offer, it would be unwise not to take advantage of them. But like anything in its early stages, AI systems are still new and have a few vulnerabilities. Because of this, they have become an easy and prevalent target for hackers.

Hackers have identified at least four methods for attacking a company’s AI system. Adversarial attacks are the most common, where an algorithm misleads a machine learning model by submitting an intentionally wrong input. Other methods are data poisoning and prompt injection, which can corrupt the system’s learning process.

Hackers favor backdoor attacks because they can infiltrate a target AI system for a very long time without the system’s security even noticing them. Backdoors are a bit more difficult to implement, but the rewards for hackers are tremendous.

How Businesses Can Mitigate AI and Cyber Attack Risks

Now, although AI comes with endless benefits, it also brings with it monumental security risks. It is also not a passing trend that will fade soon enough and that you can ignore. This is just the beginning. AI tools for hacking will become more destructive in the coming years. And for this reason, businesses must be concerned about these AI tools and cyber attacks.

The good news is that there are many things businesses can do to protect against security risks. If you are already using generative AI tools in your business, you must identify and contain its vulnerabilities and take steps to strengthen these areas of the system. Regular employee training is also a must, particularly about prudence in entering data into AI-powered chatbots.

It is also crucial to do data encryption when training a generative AI system for your business. Keeping data anonymous is also helpful in maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive information. Of course, your choice of AI tools is also very important. There are now so many choices available, and the tendency is to go for the cheapest one. But it is always better to spend more on a reliable tool rather than risk the security of your business for a few dollars saved.

If you want to learn more about using AI systems and protecting your business from AI and cyber attacks, we can help. Just call us and we will schedule a consultation where we can discuss your business security needs and address them accordingly. Don’t forget to Download our E-book which talks about the cybersecurity role of AI in security.

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.

Role of Cybersecurity Training in Compliance and Risk Reduction

Cybersecurity compliance
Cybersecurity, Security, , , ,

The primary reason for training employees on cybersecurity is to protect the organization from online attacks. But there are many other reasons you should embark on security awareness training. It is also important for customer reassurance, employee wellbeing, and, our topic for this post, cybersecurity compliance and risk reduction.

Why is Cybersecurity Training Important in Compliance and Risk Reduction?

There are both direct and indirect correlations between cybersecurity training and regulatory compliance. For example, many regulatory agencies explicitly require businesses to conduct regular security policy training or data protection training for all employees. Failure to comply with this requirement would cause fines and other sanctions.

It saves you from penalties and other sanctions. 

Depending on your industry, and your business location, there are some cybersecurity regulations that you would have to comply with. Some cybersecurity compliance regulations are HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOX, NYDFS, GDPR, NIST, CMMC, and many more. Failure to comply with these requirements would put your system at serious risk. But also, you might have to face steep penalties and hefty sanctions, including legal action.

It helps avoid a range of other errors. 

Inadequately trained employees are more vulnerable to phishing and social engineering attacks. They might even unknowingly violate policies and handle data poorly, which could lead to a range of compliance errors. Proper training can help avoid all this.

It encourages alertness and vigilance. 

Unique cybersecurity training strategies like simulated attacks will boost retention and make employees more alert for looking out for cyber threats. It also ensures compliance with the Cybersecurity Framework developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and, though not a legal requirement, is one of the best risk management practices.

It emphasizes the need for encryption and data security.

Data confidentiality and risk mitigation are crucial aspects of data privacy training for meeting compliance demands, especially with encryption, data sharing, and access controls.

It makes for improved compliance audits.

Cybersecurity training ensures not only that your organization passes compliance audits but also that it does so with flying colors. When all employees receive security regulation training, there is a higher chance of getting an exemplary audit report.

It lets regulators gauge your level of cybersecurity compliance.

A good training program comes with participation monitoring and various metrics for evaluating its effectiveness. All this is useful for regulators to check your organization’s compliance with cybersecurity requirements.

It creates a robust security culture within your organization. 

The existence of a regular training program shows your staff that you are serious about cybersecurity and encourages everyone to take the best individual steps toward maintaining a high level of protection. It minimizes the risk of insider threat.

It keeps everyone updated on the latest security practices and compliance standards.

Online threats continue to evolve every day, so compliance standards need to adjust as well. Regular training ensures that your entire organization is trained on all the latest advances, always keeping you compliant.

It encourages top management to prioritize cybersecurity compliance mandates.

With a solid understanding of the importance of compliance and liability, top executives will be more attentive to enforcing mandates on cybersecurity and data protection.

Final Thoughts on Cybersecurity Compliance

Often, cybersecurity compliance may seem like just another routine requirement in the workplace, but it has a significant impact on many aspects of the business, as you have just seen.

Has your data been hacked? Download our Infographic, “The Top 10 steps to take if you think you have been hacked.” If you’d like, call us and we can talk about how we can customize data security for your unique needs!

If you want to know more, just let us know and we will be happy to give you a free consultation!