In recent years, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have brought about numerous positive transformations in various industries. However, just as technology progresses, so do the tactics of cybercriminals. The emergence of AI-powered cybercrime presents a new challenges to individuals, businesses, and governments worldwide. This article explores the concerning trend of cybercriminals leveraging AI to carry out their malicious activities and the potential implications for cybersecurity.

AI enables cybercriminals to automate their attack methods, making them more efficient and scalable. It’s not surprising that the technology has been repurposed by malicious actors to their own advantage, enabling the acceleration of cybercrime. AI cybercrime tools are being advertised on underground forums and in the dark web as a way for adversaries to launch attacks. Even attackers with limited skills can use this technology, making it an accessible tool for a broader spectrum of cybercriminals.

For example, WormGPT is a sophisticated phishing and business email compromise AI tool that is designed specifically for malicious activities. Phishing attacks have long been a favored method of cybercriminals and they can use this technology to automate the creation of highly convincing fake emails, personalized to recipients, and increasing the chances of success for the attack. AI-powered algorithms can analyze large amounts of data to personalize phishing emails, messages, or websites, making them appear highly convincing and tailored to individual targets. This increases the success rate of these attacks and poses a significant threat to individuals and organizations.

AI tools also empowers cybercriminals with the ability to create highly evasive malware to avoid detection by traditional security measures. Machine learning algorithms can be trained to evade antivirus software, sandbox environments, and intrusion detection systems, making it harder for defenders to identify and mitigate threats.

There has also been an increase in the trade of stolen credentials for ChatGPT premium accounts, which enables cyber criminals unlimited access to potentially sensitive information. Brute-force tools are used that allow cybercriminals to hack into ChatGPT accounts by running huge lists of email addresses and passwords, trying to guess the right combination to access existing accounts. Since accounts store the recent queries of the account’s owner, cybercriminals could gain access to the queries from the account’s original owner. This can include personal information, details about corporate products and processes, and more.

To help mitigate the threats of cybercriminal activities, you must consider a multi-faceted approach to security. A combination of efforts is always best and should include technical solutions, policies, procedures, and human awareness. Make sure to implement strong authentication mechanisms, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), to ensure that only authorized individuals can access accounts and information. Keep all software and antivirus/antimalware, up to date with the latest patches, updates, and definition files to help protect against known vulnerabilities that could be exploited by cybercriminals.

Educate employees about AI cyber threats, such as AI-powered phishing attacks or deepfake-based social engineering. Provide training on identifying suspicious activities, avoiding social engineering tactics, and following secure practices, such as strong password management and data handling procedures. By fostering a security-conscious culture, employees become a crucial line of defense against AI cyber threats.

Businesses and companies can also implement robust monitoring systems that continuously track network and system activity. AI-powered cybersecurity tools exist that help analyze and identify potential security incidents in real-time. Establishing an effective incident response plan to quickly detect, contain, and mitigate AI cyber threats, will assist with minimizing the potential impact.

The emergence of AI-powered cybercrime poses significant challenges for all. If you are interested in taking proactive measures before an incident takes place, the Cybersecurity Team at CatchMark Technologies can help. We specialize in implementing the mitigation strategies mentioned above, along with establishing functioning cybersecurity programs.