How Cyber Criminals Are Using AI In Their Latest Scams

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, cuts down manual work hours, can automate tasks, and has already made a huge impact on our digital work culture - unfortunately it has done the same for threat actors. AI can be used to identify patterns in computer systems that reveal weaknesses in software or security programs, allowing hackers to exploit newly discovered weaknesses according to CNBC. This new technology is also being used to ramp up the sending of phishing emails that contain dangerous malware. These emails are slipping through security systems due to AI's ability to constantly change malware design, which helps it avoid detection. Hackers have also leveraged AI to find personal information on social media to automatically generate more personalized phishing emails.

What can you do to protect your personal information and your business?

The rise of new technology can be scary, and there’s still a lot to learn about AI. It’s vital to stay up to date on these advancements and know the risks that are out there so you are better prepared to protect your sensitive information online. As you work to educate yourself and your employees on common AI strategies used by threat actors, it is important to operate on the assumption that at least one of your employees will fall victim to such an attack.

To apply resiliency to your environment and reduce your risk and the impact of a cyber-attack, consider implementing an overall identity access management (IAM) strategy to add more layers of protection to your data. This may include multiple strategies and applications such as the ones listed below:

Role-based access control (RBAC) is a security principle that manages user permissions based on their specific roles within an organization. By assigning users to predefined roles that correspond with their job responsibilities, access to resources and systems is granted only to those who require it to perform their tasks.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security measure that requires users to provide two or more forms of verification before gaining access to sensitive resources. Additional factors can include something the user knows (e.g., a password), something the user has (e.g., a hardware token or mobile phone), and something the user is (e.g., a fingerprint or facial recognition).

Adaptive MFA (AMFA), which employs a type of AI, can automatically block activity based on suspicious or out of the ordinary actions and factors. This includes geographically impossibilities, behavior analytics, or identifying a suspicious IP address that has attempted identity attacks on other organizations in the solution’s customer base.‍

Privileged Access Management (PAM) is a strategy designed to protect and monitor access to critical systems, data, and applications by managing the credentials and permissions of privileged users. PAM solutions help organizations control and monitor the activities of users with elevated permissions, ensuring that only authorized individuals have access to sensitive resources.This reduces the risk of unauthorized access or data breaches.

AI has become a powerful ally in the battle against cyber criminals, even as threat actors also continue to take advantage of it. Today, numerous security applications and services, including MFA, PAM, SIEM logging, threat-hunting, and endpoint detection and response (EDR), are harnessing AI's potential to identify and respond to threats in real-time. These solutions also support proactively analyzing massive amounts of data for signs of impending or ongoing attacks. Incorporating AI into defense strategies is becoming increasingly vital to maintaining a robust security posture. It is essential to recognize that the good guys also have access to this cutting-edge technology, enabling them to stay one step ahead of malicious actors and safeguard their IT infrastructure more effectively than ever before.

Improve Your Company’s Security with Entara

Entara offers complete, integrated IT and cybersecurity solutions personalized to our clients’ needs. We provide an extensive suite of security integrations and technology services to elevate our clients’ security stacks and prevent devastating cyberattacks. Connect with us to learn more about how our team of experts can reduce your organization’s vulnerability to cyber threats.

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