Cybercriminals are using artificial intelligence to conduct thorough research on potential victims, the National Information Technology Development Agency has disclosed.
The agency noted that this enabled them to create personalised messages to effectively deceive victims into divulging sensitive information.
It revealed this in a recent advisory on the dangers of phishing.
It explained that phishing attacks involve manipulating individuals into opening an infected email attachment, clicking on a malicious link, or giving up sensitive information, such as usernames and passwords or bank information.
NITDA stated, “These attacks may manifest as phishing emails, phone calls, or text messages, aiming to exploit individuals through manipulation. User account credentials are valuable targets for cybercriminals because they can be used to access personal and organisational networks. Email-based phishing attacks have become the most common way for attackers to obtain user credentials.”
It highlighted that AI had provided more ammunition for attackers, who could improve their modus operandi.
It expanded, “This involves using Al to conduct thorough research on potential victims and creating personalised messages to effectively deceive them into divulging sensitive information. This advanced approach shows how phishing attacks are getting more sophisticated and finding new ways to catch people off guard.”
It advised people to be careful about the emails they open and the links they click on.
The agency stressed that individuals must never enter their personal information on any website that they do not trust.
It added, “Use strong passwords and keep them safe; organisations and individuals should engage in continuous education and remain abreast of potential phishing threats; report suspected incidents to relevant contacts.”
In its ‘Security Bulletin: Statistics of the Year Report,’ Kaspersky revealed that an average of 411,000 malicious files were sent every day in 2023, underscoring an increase in cyber threats.
It noted that its systems detected about 125 million malicious files in total in the year.
The Head of Anti-Malware Research at Kaspersky, Vladimir Kuskov, also highlighted the growing influence of AI on the cyber threat landscape.