As the festive season approaches, it brings not only joy and celebrations but also a surge in cyber threats. Alarmingly, 84% of businesses have suffered a phishing attack, making cyber crime the world's third-largest economy after the US and China. This isn’t set to slow down any time soon, with the estimated cost of global cyber crime expected to reach $13.82tn (£10.85tn) by 2028.
The proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) is particularly significant, equipping cyber criminals with sophisticated tools for more complex attacks. But cyber security experts are also leveraging AI tools in ‘the battle of the bots’, using advanced technologies to defend against AI powered cyber threats.
The grinch’s tool kit – AI in cyber attacks
AI has revolutionised cyber attacks, making them more sophisticated and difficult to detect. The speed and stealth of AI-powered attacks give cyber criminals a significant advantage, often leaving organisations unaware of the full extent of these threats. This underreporting further complicates efforts to defend against these advanced attacks. The festive season's increased online activity provides cyber grinches with ample opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities, making it essential for businesses to bolster their defences.
During the festive period, the influx of online activities and transactions makes it a prime time for cyber attacks. Cyber criminals leverage AI in several ways to exploit vulnerabilities:
Social engineering and phishing attacks: AI uses data from social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook to identify potential victims. It can craft personalised phishing emails and even generate convincing voice clones and deepfake videos, increasing the likelihood of successful attacks.
Malware and ransomware: AI enhances traditional malware, enabling it to adapt to evolving security measures and evade detection. It also automates ransomware attacks, bolstering the ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) economy, making these attacks smarter, more adaptive, and harder to detect.
Fake AI chatbots: Cyber criminals deploy AI to create fraudulent chatbots that deceive users into divulging sensitive information. These ‘bad’ chatbots are often indistinguishable from legitimate ones, posing a significant challenge to users and businesses.
AI for cyber security – Santa’s ally
Fortunately, AI is not just a tool for attackers but also a formidable ally in defending against cyber threats. AI can be employed in various ways to bolster cyber security:
Automated threat detection and predictive analysis: AI-powered systems can rapidly identify and flag suspicious activities, providing real-time alerts to security teams. Also, by analysing patterns and predicting potential attacks, AI helps organisations address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. In fact, AI-powered cybersecurity can accelerate incident response times by 55% on average.
Phishing and scam detection: AI can detect phishing attempts before they reach users, reducing the risk of successful attacks. For example, Virgin Media O2 created an ‘AI granny’ to trip up scammers. Trained using real scam-baiter content, Daisy combines various AI models to listen and respond to scam callers. While on the phone with fraudsters, Daisy tells meandering stories about her family, talks about knitting, and provides false information about her bank details to waste their time.
Malware and ransomware detection: AI tools can identify and neutralise malicious software, preventing them from causing harm. Tools like GitHub’s CodeQL and AWS’s CodeGuru Reviewer help organisations identify and mitigate security flaws, building more secure systems and safeguarding against cyber attacks.
The human touch
While AI is a powerful tool, it is not a replacement for human expertise. Skilled cyber security professionals are essential for validating AI-flagged threats and executing high-level tasks that require human judgement and experience. AI augments human capabilities, allowing security teams to work more efficiently and effectively.
Keeping cyber grinches at bay
Understanding how attackers leverage AI and how AI can be used defensively is crucial for organisations aiming to protect themselves from cyber threats. As cyber crime technology advances, staying ahead of cyber criminals by integrating AI into cyber security strategies is more important than ever. As we embrace the festive season, it is crucial to ensure that our businesses are prepared to fend off the cyber grinches. By leveraging AI for cybersecurity, we can protect our digital assets and maintain our Christmas cheer.
By taking these measures, businesses can not only protect themselves but also ensure that the festive season remains a time of joy and celebration, free from the worry of cyber threats. Stay vigilant, stay secure, and keep the cyber grinches at bay this Christmas.
Justin Young is director of managed services security operations at ANS, a digital transformation provider and Microsoft’s UK Services Partner of the Year 2024. Headquartered in Manchester, it offers public and private cloud, security, business applications, low code, and data services to thousands of customers, from enterprise to SMB and public sector organisations.