The evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed many industries, bringing about innovations that have improved efficiency, accuracy, and decision-making processes. However, AI’s growing sophistication has also empowered cyber criminals, creating new challenges in email security. As AI technology advances, the landscape of email threats has become much more complex, making it increasingly difficult for organisations to defend against cyber attacks
But AI isn’t all bad! A prime example of how integrating AI and robotics leads to innovation is “Spot” the agile robot dog that can map its environments, sense and avoid obstacles, climb stairs and open doors. Spot can perform tasks that are difficult or dangerous for humans and is able to become anything from an industrial inspector all the way through to an emergency responder. He is even now part of the Team at national grid and has become a critical component of the energy provider’s everyday operations, helping to ensure employee safety, boost productivity, and support equipment uptime.
Here’s how AI is making email security harder. AI has drastically improved phishing techniques, enabling attackers to automate and refine their attacks. Phishing emails, which were once riddled with obvious errors, are now polished and much more realistic. AI also facilitates spear phishing, where personalized attacks target specific individuals or organizations by taking data from social media and other sources. Tools like WormGPT enable attackers to craft tailored emails almost instantly, significantly reducing the time and effort needed for these attacks.
AI’s role in email security threats extends to deepfake and synthetic media. Cyber criminals can create lifelike audio and video using deepfake technology, impersonating CEOs to deceive employees into sharing sensitive information or transferring funds.
AI is also transforming malware development. With the ability to create adaptive malware, cyber criminals can now bypass traditional detection methods. Polymorphic malware, for example, constantly changes its code to evade antivirus systems. AI accelerates the discovery of vulnerabilities, enabling attackers to exploit zero-day flaws more quickly.
AI also poses a direct challenge to traditional security measures, as attackers use it to study and evade machine learning-based systems like spam filters and firewalls. In some cases, attackers deploy their own AI systems to engage in a cat-and-mouse game with security AI, forcing organizations into an ongoing battle to stay ahead of evolving threats.
In summery AI has significantly complicated email security, making it harder for organizations to defend against threats. Cyber criminals now leverage AI to automate and enhance phishing attacks, making them more convincing and harder to detect.
For a complete, in-depth breakdown of the topics discussed here, read Mimecast’s The State of Email & Collaboration Security 2024 report.