Curious what cybersecurity leaders are most concerned about right now?
It’s not the threats you’re used to seeing. The entire cybersecurity threat landscape has changed… And if you think you’re already protected, you’re in for a rude awakening.
Here’s the bottom line:
Cybercriminals are using Artificial Intelligence to launch more sophisticated, targeted, and realistic attacks than ever before.
Without up-to-date knowledge and defenses, your organization is vulnerable.
Cybersecurity statistics uncovered in our latest research provide a sobering look at these threats. The facts are clear: we are facing challenges we have never even heard of a few years ago.
In this report, I reveal exactly what these threats look like and how to defend against them before they take aim at your organization.
Download it now.
You’ll learn:
- The 10 Most Dangerous Emerging Cybersecurity Threats
- How Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Weaponizing Cyber Attacks
- The Proven Defense Strategies That Really Work
- The Bulletproof Security Framework for Advanced Threats
The 10 Most Dangerous Emerging Cybersecurity Threats
Still think cybersecurity threats are all about obvious phishing emails and basic malware?
Think again.
The security threat landscape has changed. Cybercriminals now use sophisticated technology to design attacks that are virtually indistinguishable from legitimate business transactions and communications.
Cybersecurity statistics recently uncovered by companies like Infrascale indicate these kinds of sophisticated attacks are becoming more and more common, not less.
AI-Powered Phishing Attacks
Here’s a fact that will make your hair stand on end…
Phishing attacks used to be relatively easy to spot. Sloppy grammar. Links with obvious misspellings. Obvious red flags.
Not anymore.
Cybercriminals are using AI-powered social engineering tactics to customize messages that target individuals within your organization using your social media, company information, and communication patterns.
The really scary part?
Artificial intelligence systems are capable of sending out thousands of these personalized and targeted phishing emails in the blink of an eye. The best part is that they are constantly adapting based on which approaches work and which don’t.
Deepfake Social Engineering
You want to know the most sophisticated attack method emerging right now?
Deepfakes.
AI-generated deepfake audio and video calls that replicate the appearance and voice of real executives, IT administrators, or trusted colleagues are being used by cybercriminals to try and gain access to your systems. 47% of organizations report they have already seen deepfake attacks.
Picture this: you get a video call from your CEO. The voice sounds exactly like the CEO. The appearance is spot on. But it’s not the CEO. It’s a cybercriminal.
Scary, right?
This isn’t the future. This is right now.
Cloud-Conscious Malware
The reality is modern malware is also being designed with the cloud in mind. This type of malware has increased by 110% over the last year, specifically targeting the cloud infrastructure that most companies are now using.
This new breed of malware is capable of navigating cloud architectures and moving laterally while avoiding detection.
Supply Chain Infiltration
Let’s not forget that most organizations are laser focused on securing their own systems but turning a blind eye to their single biggest vulnerability: their supply chain.
30% of data breaches now involve third-party vendors — double the rate of breaches from last year. Attackers have learned it is much easier to compromise a vendor with poor security practices than to attack the primary target.
How Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Weaponizing Cyberattacks
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing cybercrime.
It’s not just businesses that are automating everything…
Cybercriminals are using AI to supercharge and scale their attacks in new and terrifying ways.
Automated Vulnerability Scanning
AI-powered attacks no longer rely on humans to discover and exploit vulnerabilities. AI systems can scan millions of devices simultaneously and identify weaknesses.
Then these same AI systems can launch coordinated, real-time attacks against those same systems with no human involvement.
Vulnerability exploitation is now being performed in minutes instead of weeks.
Adaptive Attack Vectors
Traditional security measures rely on static signatures or patterns that can be recognized. AI-powered attacks, on the other hand, can adapt and change tactics in real-time.
When one vector is identified and blocked, the AI-powered attack simply shifts gears and tries another.
Social Engineering at Scale
Scale is what makes AI-powered social engineering so dangerous. A single AI system can now reach out to hundreds of targets at once. Personalizing the attack for each individual using their digital footprint, communication styles, and psychological profiles.
The Proven Defense Strategies That Really Work
This is not the time to panic.
The threats we are facing are serious. But there are effective defense strategies you can use to protect yourself against them.
Multi-Layered AI Detection
AI is to blame for the weaponization of cybercrime. But AI can also be your solution.
The best line of defense against AI-powered attacks is AI-powered defense. Modern security solutions with machine learning built-in can detect anomalous behavior that’s not normal.
Systems that specifically identify deepfake content, behavior patterns, and suspicious activities.
What to look for?
- Behavioral analysis algorithms
- Real-time deepfake detection
- Anomaly detection systems
- Predictive threat modeling
Zero Trust Architecture
Let me give you a foundational principle that will keep you safe from the majority of emerging threats:
NEVER trust. ALWAYS verify.
Zero trust architectures work by assuming that every user, every device, and every network connection is compromised by default.
By limiting access, and making continuous verification a requirement, the Zero Trust model can drastically reduce the potential impact of successful attacks.
Advanced Employee Training
Traditional cybersecurity awareness programs are not going to cut it anymore. Cyberattacks like deepfakes, AI-generated phishing, and highly-targeted social engineering attacks will require a new approach to employee training.
Continuous Monitoring and Response
We have already established a fact that you will experience an attack at some point. The only question is whether your systems are going to detect it quickly enough to respond and contain it.
Building the Bulletproof Security Framework for Advanced Threats
If you want a security framework that can stand up to these advanced threats, you need to do the following:
Risk Assessment and Planning
Begin by doing a complete risk assessment of your current security posture and identifying vulnerabilities and potential impact. These findings should be used to prioritize where you need to make your defenses airtight.
Technology Integration
Make sure to integrate security technologies so that threat intelligence and coordinated responses are shared across the entire security infrastructure.
Incident Response Planning
An incident response plan needs to be developed and tested on an ongoing basis. Plans should be reflective of the latest attack methods and include a section for handling AI-powered and deepfake threats.
Wrapping It Up
AI-powered cybersecurity threats represent the most serious and game-changing risk to your business. Deepfake social engineering, AI-driven phishing, and supply chain attacks are forcing us to change the way we think about cybersecurity defense and preparedness.
The best defense against this new generation of attacks is advanced cybersecurity knowledge and security frameworks that are built around artificial intelligence.
That’s right: the answer is AI. Machine learning and advanced algorithms to automatically detect anomalous behavior and identify and stop cyberattacks before they reach your systems.
AI isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The threats will only get more complex and more frequent. The businesses that put advanced security in place and stay up-to-date with cybersecurity news and new threats will not only survive, but thrive.
The others will be the next headline to make the news. Don’t be the victim.
