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Digital transformation is exponentially increasing the possible attack surface, creating new possibilities for the cyber-criminal sector. In addition to their ever-expanding arsenal of malicious software and zero-day risks, new technologies such as automated hacking, deepfakes, and weaponized AI are being contributed to their arsenal.
Let's dive into the article to learn how these tools are a threat to the world today.
What are the practical applications of automated hacking, and how can they influence your business? Hackers use programs like Shodan to compile a comprehensive list of internet-connected devices, including web servers, surveillance cameras, webcams, and printers.
In Sweden, for example, automated hacking tools were used to find public cameras near a harbor. They could watch and detect submarines coming in and out of the port using that imagery. They could figure out how long the ships had been on the move, their range, and where they might have gone. This does not necessitate a team of IT experts and may be completed by anyone.
Even if your company doesn't rent submarines, it's probable to have security cameras and networked printers at the front door. These gadgets may be identified and accessed from a distance. Who enters your workplace or meets with you is none of their concern; that data belongs to you?
Cyber-attacks are progressively targeting specific persons, as previously stated. This is referred to as spear phishing. Instead of just expecting that unwitting recipients will click on the phishing mail, cybercriminals are increasingly attempting to persuade their victims to send money. To mimic a third party or a corporate executive, fake accounts, email accounts, websites, and branding and communication styles are created. It's also known as "whaling" when a high-ranking CxO is targeted.
The first stage for cyber-criminals in creating a convincing message is reconnaissance. What clients does the target company have, how many workers does it have, do they utilize a certain email template, and what weaknesses does it have? They employ automated resources instead of manually sifting through publicly available data. As a result, their technique is more thorough and quicker, and their success rates are greater.
Deepfake is a term that combines two words: deep and fake. It blends the idea of machine or deep learning with a non-existent entity. Artificial pictures and noises created using machine-learning algorithms are known as deep fakes. A deepfake maker manipulates material to replace a real person's picture, voice, or both with comparable artificial likenesses or voices using deep fake technology. Deepfake technology may be thought of as a more advanced type of photo-editing technology that makes it simple to manipulate photos.
Deepfake technology, on the other hand, goes much farther in terms of how it manipulates visual and auditory material. It can, for example, generate individuals who do not exist. It can also make it look as if actual individuals are talking and doing things that they aren't. As a consequence, deepfake technology may be used to disseminate fake news.
Organizations are concerned about a number of deepfake-based frauds, including the scams that use deepfake audio to make it appear as though the person on the other end of the call is a higher-up, as in a CEO requesting an employee to pay money. Scams involving extortion. Identity fraud is a type of identity theft in which deep fake technology is used to perpetrate crimes such as financial fraud. An audio deepfake is used in many of these frauds. Audio deepfakes generate "voice skins" or "clones" that allow them to impersonate a well-known figure. It's a smart option to perform your due research if you feel the voice on the other end of the telephone is a partner or customer asking for money. It's possible that it's a ruse.
The use of persuasive manipulations in posts on social media has the ability to mislead and ignite the internet-connected population. Deepfakes is a service that helps fake news look authentic to the media.
Deepfakes are frequently employed on social media sites to elicit strong emotions. Consider a tumultuous Twitter account that takes aim at all things political and makes outlandish statements in order to stir up controversy. Is there a link between the profile and a genuine person? Perhaps not. That Twitter account's profile image might have been made entirely from scratch. It's possible that it doesn't belong to a genuine individual. If that's the case, the convincing films they're distributing on Twitter are probably fake as well. Deepfakes of this nature has been prohibited on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.
Bad actors may carry out more assaults at a faster rate thanks to AI and automation, which means security teams will have to stay up. To add gasoline to the flame, this is all occurring in real time, and we're witnessing quick progress, then there is little time to decide whether or not to launch your own AI defenses.
Cyber attackers, like their victims, face economic realities: identifying and exploiting zero-day threats may cost upwards of six figures; creating new threats and malware requires time and money, as does rent Malware as a Service tool from the dark web. They, like everyone else, want to get the most value for money, which includes increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the instruments they're employing with the lowest number of overhead expenditures, comprising money, time, and effort.
Using AI and machine learning, cybercriminals may develop malware that can self-seek for holes and then calculate which modules will be the most effective without revealing themselves to its C2 server through continual communication.
Multi-vector assaults involving advanced persistent threats (APTs) or a variety of payloads have previously been encountered. AI improves the efficacy of these technologies by understanding targeted systems on its own, allowing attacks to be laser targeted instead of the slower, scattershot method that might notify a victim that they are being attacked.
You must understand what you must safeguard and how you must safeguard it. How large is your digital attack surface? Which flaws are revealed? You can avoid assaults by employing automated technologies that identify and analyze your digital footprint, not just your own websites and digital products, but also those of third-party providers. All are connected to your brand and have the potential to significantly hurt your reputation if they are compromised by cyber-attackers.
