How AI Powers Next-Gen Phishing Attacks

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Advances in technology have led to a new major concern: The rise of phishing schemes enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI). Cybercriminals leverage AI to create personalized phishing messages at scale. AI also enables attackers to analyze employee behavior, generate convincing fake content and bypass traditional security measures, making these threats more effective and widespread. Here’s a look at some of the ways bad actors are using AI-enabled tools to launch hard-to-spot phishing attacks.

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Excerpted in part from our Guide to Phishing Protection for Businesses DOWNLOAD IT>>

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How cybercriminals are using AI for phishing

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AI enhances the sophistication and effectiveness of phishing attacks, making them harder to detect and defend against. In a study by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 60% of participants fell victim to AI-automated phishing. Here are some ways AI is used in email phishing:

1. Automated phishing email generation

AI can generate realistic phishing emails by analyzing language patterns from legitimate communications, allowing attackers to tailor messages to specific targets quickly at scale.

Scenario example: An attacker uses an AI tool to analyze an organization’s internal emails and creates a phishing message that appears to come from the IT department. The message prompts employees to click a link to verify their credentials, which leads to a fake login page that captures usernames and passwords.

2. Deepfake technology for impersonation

AI technologies enable attackers to create hyper-realistic audio or video impersonations of individuals called deepfakes that can be used to deceive victims into thinking they are communicating with someone familiar.

Scenario example: An attacker collects video and audio clips of a CEO and creates a deepfake video in which the CEO instructs an employee to transfer a large sum of money to an unknown vendor, leading the employee to comply without verifying the request.

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3. Targeted spear phishing using data analytics

AI tools can be used to analyze data from a variety of sources including social media, public records and dark web datasets to identify potential targets for spear phishing attacks and understand their behavior, enabling attackers to craft personalized spear phishing emails.

Scenario example: An attacker uses an AI tool to gather information about a company’s employees, then sends a personalized email to a project manager referencing a recent project, offering a “collaboration” link that leads to a malware-infected site.

4. Phishing-as-a-Service platforms

Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS) is a dark web business model where cybercriminals provide tools and resources for phishing attacks, allowing less-experienced individuals to launch sophisticated campaigns. AI is used to automate various aspects of the phishing process, with platforms offering features for creating phishing emails, managing campaigns and collecting stolen data.

Scenario example: A novice cybercriminal subscribes to a PhaaS platform offering AI-generated phishing email templates and pre-built malicious websites. They launch a campaign targeting employees at various companies, using the platform’s tools to manage phishing attempts and collect credentials.

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Supercharge phishing detection with AI

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Phishing attacks are becoming more sophisticated and frequent as cybercriminals increasingly leverage AI. To combat these AI-powered advanced threats, organizations must adopt equally sophisticated technologies. AI-driven phishing protection plays a vital role in defending sensitive information by enhancing threat detection and response.

Why choose AI-driven phishing protection?

AI-enabled anti-phishing solutions detect and block phishing by analyzing emails, links and attachments for suspicious patterns. They’re highly effective at catching sophisticated attacks, like brand impersonation, zero-day threats and novel malware. Machine learning (ML) ensures that they continuously learn from new threats to stay ahead of evolving phishing tactics. Some of the ways that anti-phishing solutions leverage AI to provide real-time, adaptive phishing defense include:

• Advanced threat detection: AI continuously updates and identifies emerging threats, including zero-day attacks, faster than traditional methods.
• Personalized attack prevention: AI recognizes sophisticated spear phishing attacks tailored to individuals, improving detection accuracy.
• Speed and scalability: AI can analyze large email volumes in real time, blocking threats instantly.
• Proactive defense: AI anticipates threats by analyzing suspicious patterns, keeping defenses adaptive.

Other advantages of leveraging AI are resources and cost efficiencies. Automating detection lowers the burden on security teams, allowing team members to focus on critical tasks. This, along with AI’s ability to minimize attack damage, saves money.

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As the threat of phishing continues, the implementation of AI-enabled anti-phishing technology alongside training tools should be a key part of any forward-thinking, phishing-related cybercrime defense strategy. Explore the cutting-edge features of our AI-driven smart antiphishing solution Graphus to see how you might benefit. LEARN MORE>>

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Kaseya 365 User: Comprehensive Protection Against User Threats

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IT professionals need more than just endpoint security. They need a unified approach to protect, detect and recover from user threats with an integrated, all-in-one solution designed for complete peace of mind.

• Prevent – Advanced technology and training to stop phishing attacks and safeguard user credentials.
• Respond – Intelligent alerts and automated threat responses to detect and neutralize suspicious SaaS activity.
• Recover – Reliable backup and streamlined recovery to ensure business continuity.
• Automate – Ensure consistent, robust protection even with limited IT resources.

Explore the unmatched benefits of Kaseya 365 User. LEARN MORE>>