It’s getting tougher to identify a phishing attack with AI technology boosting the frequency and sophistication of phishing schemes.
According to recent research by a group of Harvard professors and cybersecurity experts, 60% of participants fell victim to artificial intelligence (AI)-automated phishing, which is comparable to the success rates of non-AI-phishing messages created by human experts.
The time has never been more critical for businesses to conduct an honest appraisal of their current security status. This will enable them to make an informed decision on whether to allocate additional funds to phishing protection.
A recent survey of 400 Chief Information Security Officers from UK and US businesses found that 72% believe that AI solutions would lead to security breaches. Conversely, 80% said they intended to implement AI-tools to defend against AI. This is another reminder of both the promise and the threat of AI.
Artificial intelligence, especially large language models (LLMs), is making phishing attacks more dangerous, increasing both the number and quality of phishing attempts. “AI helps attackers more than defenders because it’s easier and cheaper to exploit people’s psychological weaknesses than to educate and protect them,” according to the Harvard research findings. Many employees have a digital presence that attackers can easily manipulate to create convincing, personalized attacks. These attacks aren’t limited to emails anymore; they now include fake voice and video messages.
What can business management do? It’s imperative that they understand the threat level to their organization and take proper action. By raising employee awareness about these new threats and helping them assess risks accurately, companies can better protect themselves. This is crucial as the next generation of phishing attacks will likely affect more people than ever before.
The four levels of phishing training can be summarized as:
No Training:
No phishing training.
No manager for phishing or cybersecurity awareness.
No reporting routines or incident response plan.
Basic Awareness:
Some training, usually during onboarding.
A designated person handles phishing inquiries.
Basic policies for identifying and reporting phishing.
Simple incident response plan in place.
Intermediate Engagement:
Quarterly phishing awareness training.
Training satisfaction rate over 75%.
A manager oversees the phishing protection strategy.
Regular updates on phishing threats and active encouragement to report phishing.
Detailed incident response plan.
Advanced Preparedness:
Monthly phishing awareness training.
Training satisfaction rate over 85%.
Experienced manager (5+ years) in charge of phishing protection.
Regular updates and a simple reporting system for phishing.
Thorough, tested, and frequently rehearsed incident response plan.
Many organizations are implementing phishing simulations as a key strategy in their cybersecurity arsenal. By training employees to recognize and report phishing attempts, organizations can significantly reduce the likelihood of successful phishing attacks, which are a top cause of security breaches.
Enfortra’s white label identity protection offers tailored solutions specifically tailored for your industry. By integrating White Label Credit Monitoring with comprehensive restoration and recovery services, Enfortra ensures the safeguarding of employees’ private data. Our customizable portals cater to the unique needs of your members, enhancing their experience while fortifying the security of sensitive information. This not only fosters trust and loyalty among patients but also generates additional revenue streams through a valued and essential identity protection solution.
