Modern security tools have significantly reduced organizational risk by deploying a variety of safeguards against traditional cyber threats. However, as these defenses have become more sophisticated, cybercriminalshave adapted their strategies. The rise of widely accessible Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools has enabled attackers to enhance the speed, precision, and believability of their scams—making many of the usual warning signs harder to detect. So, how can you safeguard your personal data and protect your organization in this evolving threat landscape? That’s exactly what we’ll cover in this month’s newsletter.
How AI Is Changing Cyber Threats
For years, cybercriminals have exploited email and social media to target unsuspecting individuals. Many of us have encountered suspicious messages such as claims of incriminating footage, prizes from contests we never entered, or inheritances from unknown relatives. Traditionally, these scams were easy to spot by checking for typos, poor grammar, unusual sender addresses, or unsolicited attachments and links.
Today, however, attackers have shifted tactics. With the rise of sophisticated cybersecurity tools, it’s often easier to manipulate a person than to breach a system. Cybercriminals now rely heavily on social engineering – gathering personal or organizational details to craft convincing messages that appear legitimate. For example, they might impersonate a colleague using information obtained from previous interactions.
The widespread availability of generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, has further empowered attackers to create polished, believable messages that lack the usual red flags. This makes it increasingly difficult to distinguish between genuine communication and a well-crafted scam.
Tips to Keep Your Data Safe
Here are some tips to help limit the data you share that can be used against you:
Avoid Oversharing Information
Social engineering is one of the biggest threats to cyber security that is actively being exploited by threat actors. When communicating either online via email and social media, or on calls, be mindful of what information you are sharing. Oversharing not only means sharing information about your organization or a process that shouldn’t be public but also includes personal details that are irrelevant to the conversation and could be used against you.
Tip: When sending an external message, make sure to review before sending it to remove any unnecessary details.
Smart Use of Out-of-Office Messages
Many people make use of out-of-office messages to inform others when they are not available in the workplace as a courtesy. While these messages may not seem like a problem, including too much information could increase risks if the auto-reply message is received by a cybercriminal.
Tip: Make messages concise and do not include specifics such as dates or travel locations.
Check Your Social Media Account Privacy
Public social media accounts can easily be referenced by cybercriminals to craft social engineering attacks against you. Where possible, make your accounts private and review your privacy settings to make sure only approved contacts can view your content.
Tip: On personal accounts, make sure privacy settings are enabled and avoid sharing content about your organization that should not be public.
Conclusion
Cybercriminals continue to adapt and make use of emerging technologies to make their attacks more sophisticated and harder to detect. Modern security tools are very effective, and as a result attackers are finding more success hacking people rather than systems. It is important to remain vigilant and informed of emerging trends in order to protect both yourself and your organization.
Looking to learn more?
Contact CSOLVE today to learn about our security awareness training
www.csolve.ca
salesdesk@csolve.ca
1.877.567.6593
