Phishing and AI: The New Wave
Published on: 4th July 2023
Phishing is as old as the mid-nineties, yet it’s perpetrators are using cutting edge techniques to amplify its risk to business and create a new wave in how credentials are compromised. This article explains how the phishing and AI risk is changing, and what you can do to protect your organisation.
In phishing attacks, threat actors try to deceive users into disclosing sensitive information. Traditionally this has been slow paced and easy to spot, however with enough bait, there will be bite. By giving away this personal information, such as passwords, usernames, and rememberable information, the phisher can make a passive and quick income by selling the data on the deep and dark web.
The phished information creates a snowball effect, as its sale leaves you vulnerable to further predation from threat actors. Don’t just take our word for it, this practice is a huge threat to organisations, with over half of attacks using stolen credentials and phishing as their access point.
Perhaps you’re fatigued in hearing about AI and its implications, like increasing efficiency, scalability and capacity all whilst decreasing workload and costs, you may have heard it before. Yet for these reasons cyber criminals are also harnessing these tools. Whilst legacy methods had their success, phishers are now using emerging technology like AI to fuel their phishing attempts.
AI can now write phishing communications at an unprecedented rate, incorporating novel data and believable text which is harder to differentiate from genuine messages. In addition, it can rapidly reply whilst creating credible looking websites and documents which reinforce its believability and scalability.
With increasing complexity and volume comes an increase in risk of successful phish, sale of credentials, and ultimately unauthorised access to your company. That stolen credential is the porthole to targeted cyber-attacks and breaches.
Certainly, training staff on spotting phishing attempts to strengthen your first line of defence would be a good step. But if the information is already leaked, the sooner you know, the higher chance securing the credential and your organisation.
We can help you with both steps as required, and can offer you a free stolen credential monitoring report to give you intel on your current threat status. Our service monitors over 60,000 locations on the deep and dark web and alerts to any credentials for sale under your domain, so you can take steps to secure yourself soon. We’ll send you your report and advise on next steps, free of charge.
If you’d like a free scan for your or your company credentials on the deep and dark web interested in, let us know here.
