Artificial intelligence has proven to bring us many benefits, but it also opens new battlefronts. In this case, Microsoft has stepped forward to warn us about what is already happening: hackers are using artificial intelligence to make their attacks more effective.
Tom Burt, a top executive at Microsoft focused on security, has confirmed that cybercriminals are developing more sophisticated and harmful strategies thanks to the use of artificial intelligence. As he explained to The Wall Street Journal, hackers are already employing AI-based tools to refine their tactics, such as in the case of phishing.
Phishing is one of the most commonly used tactics by hackers to gain access to our information. As the name suggests, attackers try to make the victim “take the bait” using fraudulent websites, fake emails, or even social engineering. In this case, AI is helping create increasingly believable “hooks,” in addition to enhancing the malicious programs used.
These “improvements” in hackers’ techniques have added a new level of difficulty for companies, making it increasingly challenging to defend against attacks. Not only that, but the quantity of attacks has also increased. If we observe the period between November 2022 and June 2023, we will see that the number of ransomware attacks has doubled.
Through ransomware, cybercriminals focus their strategies on stealing data and then blackmailing, demanding a ransom in exchange for not leaking the data online. To defend themselves, companies are also turning to AI to enhance their security barriers and “fight fire with fire,” as Lane Bess, CEO of AI Deep Instinct, points out.
On the other hand, U.S. cybersecurity and national security authorities have already warned about the danger this poses to government computer systems. Last month, top executives from technology companies such as Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Bill Gates met in a closed-door session with U.S. senators to discuss AI and its increasingly necessary regulation.
