The Dark Side of AI: How Chatbots are Making Phishing Scams More Dangerous

Security | April 14, 2023 | Zero Comments

Todd Crane

Owner

AI chatbots have been making waves in the tech world, from answering our everyday questions to helping businesses automate customer service. However, their rising popularity has also caught the attention of cybercriminals looking to exploit their abilities for malicious purposes. In particular, they have discovered that AI can make phishing scams even more dangerous and harder to detect.

Traditionally, phishing scams are emails that trick recipients into divulging sensitive information or downloading malware. However, AI-generated phishing emails are more sophisticated and can easily slip past spam filters and even trained security professionals. They can mimic human behavior, make fewer errors, and even create entire email threads to make the scam seem more plausible.

Although security tools to detect AI-generated messages are in development, they are not yet widely available. Therefore, it is essential to be extra cautious when opening emails, especially those that you are not expecting. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

  • Check the email address: Make sure the email comes from a legitimate source by double-checking the sender’s address.
  • Don’t trust spelling and grammar: Phishing emails generated by AI are less likely to contain spelling and grammatical errors, so don’t let that fool you.
  • Verify with the sender: If you are unsure about an email’s legitimacy, do not reply to the email. Instead, verify with the sender through another communication channel.

In conclusion, AI chatbots may be helpful in many ways, but they are not immune to abuse. Stay vigilant and cautious, and if you need more advice or training for your team, don’t hesitate to reach out to experts in cybersecurity.

Gray Beard Cybersecurity

Gray Beard Cybersecurity is an award-winning cybersecurity firm and managed IT provider with offices in Nashville, TN, Plano, TX, and Tucson, AZ. They specialize in assessing and reducing cyber risk for small and mid-sized businesses. They can reduce complex technical problems and solutions down to the simplest of terms that any business owner can understand, regardless of technology literacy.

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