Social engineering attacks are designed to manipulate individuals into giving up confidential information that can be used to facilitate an attack or other malevolent purposes. There are many approaches that attackers can employ in a social engineering attack, from sending fraudulent emails, manipulating an individual via telephone, or even engaging with them on social platforms. Defending against these attacks can be tricky, but these attacks are becoming far more sophisticated through the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
While estimates vary widely, most sources agree that the vast majority of cybersecurity attacks incorporate a social engineering component. Social Engineering has the potential to cause incredible damage because it targets individuals who have access to proprietary, confidential, or personal information. Rather than breaking into the system themselves, an attacker simply convinces the authorized personnel to do the work for them from the inside.
AI can greatly enhance the effectiveness of a social engineering attack. A very common form of social engineering comes in the form of phishing attacks, where a fraudulent email is sent to an individual, requesting money, system access, a download of a file that carries malware that opens a system up to further attack. Phishing emails have long had hallmarks such as being poorly-worded, with incorrect spellings and grammar. With generative AI tools, however, attackers can quickly develop sophisticated, elaborate email attacks that might fool individuals who aren’t careful.
AI tools have allowed attackers to transcend email attacks. Attackers can now employ voice synthesis to mimic the voice of trusted contacts, or deepfake videos. In early 2024, an employee of a financial firm in Hong Kong distributed over $25 million to attackers after attending a video meeting in which every other attendee was a deepfake of colleagues and senior executives. Believing they were following directives from the company’s chief financial officer, the employee distributed the funds. The worst part was that the employee initially suspected a scam but set aside their fears after seeing their faked colleagues on the call.
Even without direct access to sophisticated deepfake or voice impersonation technology, attackers can find their work much easier with AI tools at their disposal. The ability to quickly identify targets for social engineering attacks, especially on social media platforms, can greatly speed up the preparation of an attack. AI tools can also enhance the tone of communication to mimic friends, colleagues, or family. And the ability of AI to adapt and learn can create multiple vectors of attack at the same time or in rapid succession. It becomes exponentially more difficult to ward off these attacks with AI tools involved.
An organization’s greatest weakness to social engineering attacks is its people. There are two main components to preventing social engineering attacks: good security policies and procedures, and training for employees to help them operate in alignment with those procedures. Your best first step is to evaluate your security measures and identify gaps in policies and procedures. With the right processes in place, commitment to thorough, regular training will enhance your team’s ability to recognize and eliminate social engineering threats.
Mission Compliant is here to help your teams prepare for the social engineering threats attackers are readying against you. Contact us today to evaluate your security and compliance needs.
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