With AI being adopted in almost every area of our lives and its relentless development, cyberattacks are increasing rapidly. Malicious actors are using AI tools to create phishing emails and other AI-generated content to bypass traditional security measures. The bright side is that AI’s security capabilities are limitless.
AI-enhanced attacks are cybersecurity events that use artificial intelligence to compromise the security of individuals and organizations. AI tools can generate any form of content, whether written or video. The authenticity of this content is difficult to determine because these tools use vast amounts of data and human intelligence.
Employees are often the first target for attackers, as they may be unaware of certain AI-enhanced attacks to watch out for. more cyber attacksand their vulnerabilities are proportionally correlated to the total number of employees. This shows why it is essential to train employees on cybersecurity strategies for AI-enhanced attacks.
Types of AI-enhanced attacks
- Social engineering: An AI-enhanced event has been created to trick users into disclosing personal information that will compromise their security. AI mirrors human thinking with uncanny accuracy, and its involvement in social engineering cases is alarming.
- Robots: With the large volume of data in cyberspace, attackers have started spreading human-like bots to a large number of users. Chatbots and other AI tools are used to simulate human conversations. This leads to social engineering attacks such as phishing and baiting.
- Malware: This is any software created with the intent of interfering with the operation of a computer, server, or network in order to gain access to confidential information. AI-enhanced malware can adopt the behavior of the victim’s computer and scan its vulnerabilities to prevent detection.
- DDOS attacks: Distributed denial of service attempts to overload a computer system or network with excessive traffic, reducing its performance or making its services unavailable.
- Supply Chain Attack: This security vulnerability involves injecting malicious components into products, which allows data to be stolen, accessed, and the system to be controlled without detection. Advanced AI tools have made supply chain attacks an effective way to access sensitive data or take remote control of specific systems without the end user being aware.
- Fast injection attack: Exploiting large language models (LLMs) by disguising malicious inputs as legitimate prompts. This manipulation can trick generative AI systems into disclosing sensitive information, spreading fake content, or causing system damage.
- Ransomware attack: A software attack using artificial intelligence encrypts the victim’s files, data, and system. By encrypting these files, the attackers demand payment for the decryption key.
Cybersecurity Employee Training Strategies for AI-Enhanced Attacks
Integrating AI into the system
AI’s ability to analyze data and identify irregular patterns that might escape human awareness is a top-notch system for employees to work with. AI has become an indispensable tool in the fight against cyberattacks. It can automate threat responses, which will significantly reduce attacks. This strengthens the system’s defense and also manages its security operations.
Below are the steps to follow when integrating AI into an organization’s system;
Identify goals and use cases – Compare the organization’s goals and the need to implement AI systems. Start comparing the capabilities of AI solutions to the parts of the business that need protection.
Determine the budget – Once the goals and use cases are defined, the next step is to compare available AI solutions. Review and interpret the company’s financial reports to determine the AI budget and avoid overspending. This will also help to have a better budget scope to present to stakeholders for approval.
Implement and test AI solutions – Implement AI into the system for certain processes and test it. Off-the-shelf enterprise AI systems are more affordable and easier to deploy, making them the solution of choice for small businesses.
On the other hand, custom solutions are more expensive and require technical know-how. An organization must prioritize data privacy and security.
Monitor the results – After the deployment of AI systems, close monitoring is necessary to optimally integrate them into the functioning of the organization. This task should be carried out by a group of selected employees who will become experts in charge of this task.
Employee awareness
Employee negligence or imprudence may lead to a data breach. According to a recent reportBreaches cost businesses over $4 million. Employees are vulnerable and therefore attack vectors for malicious actors. Identify areas where gaps in cybersecurity awareness may exist or where potential threats may exist.
Topics to cover during employee training:
Types of cyber attacks – Train employees on different cyber attacks. Cyber attacks such as spyware, social engineering, ransomware and many others should be thoroughly examined to prepare them on what to watch out for.
Password Security – Employees should learn the importance of creating strong passwords and using password management software. They should learn how to use multi-factor authentication to protect their accounts.
Mobile Device Security – Show them how to protect sensitive information on their mobile devices. Cybersecurity training on spyware, malware, Trojans, and viruses is essential to guide employees in protecting their devices.
Phishing – 76% of companies are faced with phishing attacksTrain employees to identify websites, emails, phone calls and ways to avoid falling victim to phishing.
Data Protection – Data protection is the essence of the security strategy. It is important to train employees in the necessary skills for this purpose. Employees must be made aware of the handling and protection of sensitive information.
Implement strict cybersecurity protocols for your organization
With the advancement of AI technologies, businesses have become more vulnerable to cybercrime than ever before. They will need to take steps to best protect themselves against the latest AI-powered attacks. security awareness trainingThe capabilities of AI systems to prevent AI-enhanced cyberattacks must be leveraged by businesses to better protect themselves against this new threat.
About the author:
Bolaji of Olabode is a professional content marketer/copywriter and SEO specialist with over 5 years of experience helping businesses increase sales and visibility through well-researched articles. He specializes in business, technology, and cybersecurity. He is published in various leading publications.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this and other guest author articles are solely those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect those of Tripwire.
