KnowBe4 Scam Of The Week: A New High Risk of Evil AI Attacking Employees With Ransomware
Ransomware attacks will undoubtedly be on the rise in 2018 and we particularly need to watch out for sophisticated attacks harnessing AI. AI, or Artificial Intelligence, by definition is the capability of a machine to imitate intelligent human behavior. According to Justin Fier, director of threat intelligence and analysis at cybersecurity company, Darktrace Inc., these AI-leveraged attacks can “mimic writing styles, review appointments, and send ‘directions’ for an upcoming meeting to the victim”.
The ability of AIs to pronounce complex words, as well as consider speaking tones and punctuation could manipulate many into thinking they are hearing a real human voice.
Therefore, in 2018 and beyond, think before offering sensitive information in any manner: over emails, the internet, any messaging services, or over the phone.