Weaponized AI Escalates Cyber Threats, Challenging Security Teams as Attacks Evolve in Complexity and Speed

Weaponized artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a common tool for cybercriminals, leading to new and complex cybersecurity threats. These threats are evolving as attackers become more sophisticated, using AI to create more effective and harmful cyberattacks. Forrester's report for 2024 highlights how difficult it is becoming for security teams to manage these threats as they become faster, more nuanced, and lethal.

Attack groups, including those backed by nations, are now offering services like ransomware-as-a-service and tools that help carry out attacks without using malware, which are hard for current cybersecurity systems to detect. For example, attacks that don't use malware increased from 71% in 2022 to 75% in 2023, according to CrowdStrike’s report.

Forrester's survey of security professionals shows that a high number of organizations suspect breaches of their sensitive data. Almost 80% of these professionals think their data might have been compromised in the last year. The cost of these breaches is often very high, with some costing over $1 million, and a few even reaching or exceeding $10 million.

The top five cybersecurity threats for 2024 include narrative attacks, deepfakes, AI software supply chain vulnerabilities, and nation-state espionage. Narrative attacks involve manipulating information to influence public opinion or interfere with elections. Deepfakes, which use AI to create fake audio or video clips that seem real, are being used more for fraud and misinformation. These threats require sophisticated detection methods.

To combat these risks, Forrester suggests that IT and security teams use authenticator apps and add extra layers of security, such as biometrics and digital fraud management. They also highlight the importance of passwordless authentication systems, which can adapt based on the risk level of a login attempt, to make security both strong and user-friendly.

Protecting against AI-driven attacks, like those that manipulate software prompts, is becoming crucial. New technologies that analyze and filter content can help manage these risks. Additionally, safeguarding the software supply chain is vital, especially as it is often a target for serious attacks.

Forrester’s analysis shows that the landscape of cybersecurity is becoming more complex, with higher stakes due to the evolving nature of threats and the increasing use of advanced technologies by attackers.

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by Mahrukh Shahid via Digital Information World