Generative AI models like ChatGPT, FraudGPT, and WormGPT bring innovation and new challenges in cybersecurity’s evolution.
These generative AI models revolutionize cyberattacks, enabling personalized phishing, deepfakes, and cognitive bias exploitation, amplifying existing threats and introducing new risks.
Generative AI boosts cybercriminals with the following abilities:-
- Mimicry of trusted entities
- Mimicry of deep fake impersonations
- Exploiting vulnerabilities in social engineering
- Psychological manipulation
- Targeted phishing
- Authenticity crises
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Polra Victor Falade of the Cyber Security Department from the Nigerian Defence Academy recently unveiled that the following advanced generative AI models are actively playing a key role in social engineering attacks:-
- ChatGPT: A member of the GPT-3 model family developed by OpenAI, excels in natural language understanding and generation. Thanks to its versatility and human-like text generation, it’s widely used in chatbots, virtual assistants, customer support, content generation, and beyond.
- FraudGPT: FraudGPT, a subscription-based generative AI platform, allows for large-scale weaponized generative AI for phishing, malware, and hacking. It was found on the dark web in July 2023. For $200 per month or $1,700 per year, it automates a variety of processes and offers a broad skill set to newbie attackers.
- WormGPT: While WormGPT, ChatGPT’s evil twin, garners attention, hackers employ it for targeted, effective email attacks. It’s based on GPTJ and boasts character support, memory retention, and code formatting capabilities. WormGPT is designed with malevolent intent in mind, and it is exceptional in writing convincing BEC emails.
Social Engineering Threats
Persistent social engineering threats exploit human vulnerabilities, using phishing and pretexting to deceive individuals and organizations.
These attacks have grown in frequency and complexity, posing a heightened risk in digital communication, such as email and text messages.
Generative AI, using techniques like deep learning with RNNs and GANs, mimics human characteristics and finds applications in various domains, including cybersecurity, with potential opportunities and concerns.
Researchers collected data using Google Blog Search, adapting to changes using the Google search engine with the keyword “generative AI in social engineering attacks” on September 19, 2023.
They retrieved 76 blogs predominantly from 2023, focusing on the ‘News’ category for relevance and recency.
Researchers manually analyzed the 76 identified blogs, including 39 that met their criteria discussing generative AI in social engineering attacks.
The remaining 37 were excluded for lack of focus, brief mentions, or being in unrelated categories.
Impact & Consequences
Here below, we have mentioned all the impacts and consequences:-
- Financial losses
- Reputation damage
- Legal Implications
Countermeasures
Here below, we have mentioned all the recommended countermeasures:-
- Traditional Security Measures
- Advanced Email Filters and Antivirus Software
- Website Scanners
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
- Phishing Simulations
- Implement Passwordless Authentication
- AI-Powered Security Solutions
- Enhance AI-Driven Threat Detection
- Collaborative approaches
- Zero trust framework
- Awareness and Education
- Continuous improvement
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