The Rise of AI-Powered Cyber Attacks: A Growing Threat to Online Security

The surge in phishing attacks fueled by generative AI tools poses a significant threat to online security. QR code-based attacks are on the rise, comprising 11% of all malicious emails. The weaponization of AI tools has led to a 341% increase in malicious phishing link, BEC, QR Code, and attachment-based email threats in the last six months alone. The use of gen AI allows threat actors to customize messages, write convincing content, and accelerate the speed and volume of attacks with little cost. As a result, the average cost of a BEC incident has reached $137,000, with losses exceeding $2.9B in 2023. Mobile phones are now the most vulnerable communications channel, with 45% of mobile threats being reported as SMS smishing attacks. CAPTCHA-based attacks, particularly using CloudFlare, are also on the rise, masking credential harvesting forms. Leveraging legitimate services like Microsoft Sharepoint, AWS, and Salesforce to hide phishing and malware is a common tactic employed by threat actors. To combat these sophisticated cyber attacks, implementing AI-powered email and messaging security tools is crucial. The SlashNext advanced gen AI security platform offers industry-leading detection rates of 99.99% to identify and block complex threats. In a world where humans are the weakest link in security, it's time to fight AI with AI to protect online users from evolving cyber threats.