One group effectively utilising generative artificial intelligence systems is the cybercriminals.
As to a recent research by cybersecurity firm SlashNext, there has been a 1,265% surge in malicious phishing emails since the fourth quarter of 2022, with a notable 967% increase in credential phishing.
Cybercriminals are using generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT to help write sophisticated, targeted business email compromise (BEC) and other phishing messages, according to a report based on the company’s threat intelligence and a survey of over 300 North American cybersecurity professionals.
According to the data, 31,000 phishing assaults were sent out every day on average. Seventy-seven percent of cybersecurity professionals said they had been the victim of phishing attempts, and nearly half said they had experienced BEC attacks.
“These results validate the worries over the application of generative AI fueling an exponential rise in phishing attacks,” stated SlashNext CEO Patrick Harr. Threat actors can now launch thousands of different social engineering attack variants or tweak malware’s code to launch attacks faster and more varied, increasing the likelihood of success.
The results of the study demonstrate how quickly AI-based threats are developing, particularly in terms of their number, speed, and sophistication, according to Harr.
“The introduction of ChatGPT at the close of the previous year and the exponential rise in malevolent phishing emails over that period are not coincidences,” Harr stated. “Generative AI chatbots have made it much easier for bad actors to get started and have given more experienced and talented attackers the tools they need to launch large-scale, targeted spear-phishing attacks.”
Source (CNBC)
