Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-Powered Cyber Attacks have become the catchphrase across all industries – be it finance, retail, healthcare, aviation, etc. In the past few years, AI has made its presence felt, especially in the field of cybersecurity. However, there is still a lack of awareness regarding the complete capabilities and possible threats of artificial intelligence. But even with the amount of information we currently have, there is no denying the fact that AI does possess a wide spectrum of advantages that it delivers through its deep insights.
The ability to learn, reason, and act by computer systems is still very much in the initial stages. Machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence, requires huge amounts of data to be able to perform what they are intended to do. For example, when you apply machine learning to various real-life systems, it uses a combination of robotics, complex algorithms, and various industry-specific sensors. Deploying AI is easy but giving access to massive amounts of data to such automation tools also includes several potential risks. When you look at the bigger picture, the advantages offered by AI outweigh its cons; however, it is also true that this fast-growing technology has become the preferred choice of weapon for hackers.
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Impact of AI-Powered Cyber Attacks
It is true that artificial intelligence has revolutionized the cybersecurity industry. Today, there is a huge shift towards digitization, especially with the pandemic forcing businesses to adopt various trends like remote working, cloud-based software, etc. And this shift has resulted in data becoming the most valuable asset for all types of industries. This in turn has led to growth in the cybersecurity industry, which is why it is vital for businesses to be aware of various AI-powered cybersecurity trends that they can implement.
All this also means that hackers are using this same AI to create more robust malware for cyberattacks. As a result of these growing cyber threats, it is expected that the cybersecurity industry would be worth $248 billion by the end of 2023 as it will need to come up with more strong and complex countermeasures for these cyberattacks. With hyper-connectivity becoming the norm, there is a huge risk of cyber threats in the future. Also, the kind of tools and technologies available today makes it easier for hackers to cause massive losses in terms of revenue, data, etc. Such a high level of cyberattacks can also result in companies shutting down their businesses.
Though the cybersecurity industry is expanding and offering various solutions using artificial intelligence and other key data technologies, the bottom line is that these solutions are effective only until a new generation of malware enters the market. It is vital that businesses implement the right AI designs as flawed designs will substantially increase legal and reputational risks.
How are Hackers Weaponizing Artificial Intelligence?
Errors and risks due to unintentional bias or design failure can be still rectified; however, the problem occurs when the same AI systems are used by hackers as potential weapons to cause huge threats. So, how are hackers manipulating and weaponizing artificial intelligence? Well, it is really easy! Hackers can perform various actions, such as manipulating the data sets that were used to train the AI, making negligible yet impactful changes to the parameters, modifying scenarios in a subtle manner, etc., to ensure that the AI performs for their benefits.
In situations where hackers cannot access the datasets, they employ various techniques to tamper with the input data. When the input data is modified or tampered with, it makes it difficult for proper identification, resulting in manipulation of the AI systems into misclassification. This inference issue is one of the most serious issues as hackers try to reverse engineer artificial intelligence systems. By doing so, they can easily figure out the data that was used to train the systems. This means that hackers will have access to sensitive information that can help them to even replicate the AI systems.
Another source through which hackers can weaponize AI is through social engineering. Artificial intelligence is capable of spotting behavior patterns, understanding how to use a phone, email, video, etc., to influence and convince people, and extract sensitive data from them. By using these capabilities of AI, hackers can improve the social techniques that they use for more effective and beneficial hacking. AI can also be used by hackers to identify vulnerabilities in devices, networks, applications, etc., in real-time. The personal details collected through social media can also be used by hackers to generate automatic phishing emails and according to various reports, the open rate of these phishing emails is about 60% which is much higher than the manual spear-phishing campaigns.
Cybercriminals are also employing artificial intelligence to hack passwords quickly by accelerating brute force attacks. Cybercrime is a high-paying avenue, and it is definitely here to stay. According to Business Insider, a hacker earns anywhere up to $85,000 per month! Currently, there are several resources and exploit kits available in the market which can be used by even those who do not possess any technical expertise. Depending upon their level of sophistication, these resources and tools are priced in the range of a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. Hackers can also use the advancements in AI for cyberattacks like Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks, DNS tunneling, etc.
Automated Attacks
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are also being used by hackers to launch automated attacks on corporate networks. For instance, with the help of AI and ML, hackers can build malware that can detect vulnerabilities and payloads that can be exploited. This means that the malware can avoid being detected as it does not have to communicate with the command and control servers. So, rather than depending on a slower, scattershot strategy, hackers can employ more laser-focused attacks which will also ensure that the victims are not warned about the attacks.
For these automated attacks, hackers can use programs like Shodan to make a list of all the devices that are connected, such as webcams, surveillance cameras, printers, web servers, etc. With the help of artificial intelligence, hackers can save a lot of their time and effort which was earlier spent on manually going through the publicly available information. Because of this technological advancement, their techniques have become stronger and quicker, thus, resulting in greater success rates.
Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that is designed to encrypt files on a device and make those files and systems unusable. Hackers can then demand ransom in exchange for decrypting the files and systems. The speed at which it can spread in a system decides the effectiveness of the ransomware and AI offers them the ideal tools and technologies to use this form of cyberattack. For instance, cybercriminals can use AI to see the firewalls’ reactions and locate open ports which may have been missed by the security team. There are also instances where firewall policies within the same company clash with each other, and hackers can leverage AI to make use of this vulnerability.
There have been several situations where hackers have used artificial intelligence to evade firewall restrictions. There are several other AI-powered cyber attacks as well, with varying scale and sophistication. Cybercriminals can also purchase AI-embedded exploit kits and ransomware SDKs loaded with AI technology from the black market.
Phishing
Phishing is a very common form of cyberattacks and employees across the globe are now well aware of how to identify phishing emails. However, hackers are leveraging AI to send out phishing emails by personalizing the emails for each of the recipients. This is where the severity of weaponizing machine learning can be seen. Using the advanced technology, hackers can access and read an employee’s social media posts, or even all of their communications if they have ever previously gained access to their network.
Using artificial intelligence, cyber attackers can also insert themselves in any current email exchanges. Known as email thread hijacking, this form of attack is extremely potent and one of the most effective ways of spreading malware between devices. Nowadays, hackers focus on spear phishing wherein the attack is targeted at a specific person. For this purpose, they create fake accounts, websites, email accounts, branding, communication styles, etc. When this type of phishing is used to target high-ranking officials, it is known as ‘whaling’.
Fuzzing
Fuzzing is a type of automatic software testing technique that inputs invalid, unexpected, or random data in a computer program which is then monitored for potential memory leaks, failing built-in code assertions, crashes, security loopholes, etc. Nowadays, hackers can use AI to leverage their fuzzing tools to discover software vulnerabilities. Though fuzzing tools are already being used by legitimate developers, they are also being used for nefarious purposes by cyber attackers.
Since, the information regarding data sets, source code, development methodologies, etc., are publicly available, it becomes easier for cybercriminals to focus their efforts here and reap the benefits. Hence, it is vital that data centers follow the zero-trust strategy to detect malicious automation.
Use of Artificial Intelligence for Boosting Cyber Security
The best way to counter hackers using AI for cyber attacks is to use AI and build countermeasures. Artificial intelligence is known to be highly effective in monitoring and analytics. It can establish a baseline against which it can flag discrepancies related to data traffic and server access. Through early detection, businesses can reduce the limit of damage. Apart from flagging discrepancies and alerting the IT department to conduct investigations, the use and application of AI can be scaled as the technology improves and becomes more robust. For example, with advanced capabilities, AI can be given the authority to not only detect the discrepancy but also nullify the threat and block any invasions in real-time.
Along with establishing the normal behavior, learning system and user interactions, recognizing malware, threats, vulnerabilities, etc., AI can also be designed to determine the effectiveness of the alerts. Since datasets will only continue to grow, it is vital that AI is used to build more robust cyber security measures.
Conclusion
As mentioned earlier, datasets are only becoming more valuable and complex which means that the need for artificial intelligence and machine learning will also continue to grow. With cost-effectiveness being one of the major goals of every business, AI is surely the best option. Also, the benefits and advantages it offers can do wonders for any business. However, if you are investing in AI, you also need to look at steps that can address any potential risks that may occur as a result of hackers weaponizing artificial intelligence.
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