News Details

In the evolving AI landscape, learn how to spot and avoid scams.

Key Takeaways

• Cybercriminals are using AI to carry out, as well as increase the scale of, a variety of attacks such as phishing, vishing and password hacking.
• Cybersecurity organizations also increasingly rely on AI to help flag suspicious data to detect or thwart attacks.
• To help keep your data safe, discover common scams and learn how to protect yourself.

If you recently used your car’s GPS system, auto-correct when writing an email or ChatGPT to ask a question, you’ve leveraged artificial intelligence (AI).

In today’s fast-changing digital world, AI is shaping daily life. Let’s cover AI basics, common scams, how cybersecurity teams use AI to stop attacks, and key steps to protect your data and assets.

How are scammers leveraging AI?

Unfortunately, cybercriminals are relentless and resourceful. Let’s look at four ways they’re using AI for their own benefit and how you can avoid common scams.

Social engineering schemes:

These scams use psychological manipulation to deceive people into sharing sensitive information or making security mistakes, including phishing, vishing, and business email compromise.

AI lets cybercriminals automate and personalize social-engineering attacks, producing more sophisticated messages faster and raising their success rates.

How to avoid:

Never share personal information in response to unsolicited calls, texts, or emails. Verify the requester’s identity and organization before responding. If unsure, hang up and contact the organization directly using a trusted source like their official website, app, or a recent statement.

Password hacking:

AI improves password-cracking algorithms, enabling faster, more accurate guesses and making password attacks more efficient and lucrative.

How to avoid:

Avoid reusing passwords across accounts—if one is breached, others become vulnerable. Use a password manager to generate and store strong, unique passwords securely. Also enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on financial and personal accounts for added protection, using methods like one-time codes, biometrics, or authenticator apps.

How AI can enhance cybersecurity efforts

AI is transforming cybersecurity as companies work to address risks like inaccuracy, cyber threats, and IP misuse. Its strength in analyzing large datasets and spotting patterns makes it ideal for tasks such as:

• Detecting attacks more accurately, reducing false positives, and prioritizing responses by real-world risk
• Identifying and flagging suspicious emails and messages often employed in phishing campaigns.
• Simulating social-engineering attacks to help security teams find vulnerabilities before criminals exploit them.
• Rapidly analyzing large volumes of incident data to help security teams contain threats quickly.

AI can boost penetration testing by probing systems for weaknesses—letting organizations find and fix flaws before attackers do.

This intelligence gives organizations an edge in preventing attacks, protecting data while also reducing IT costs.

Staying secure in a changing AI environment

As AI advances, concerns over data privacy and risk management are rising. Regulators aim to balance its benefits with societal risks, but the U.S. still lacks comprehensive federal AI legislation.

So what does this mean for you? From a security standpoint, it’s simple: review your cybersecurity strategy and ensure best practices in password management, data privacy, personal security, and protection against social engineering.

With scams on the rise, protecting your assets and personal information is crucial. One effective step is adding a trusted contact—someone we can reach if there are concerns about your well-being or potential financial fraud. They cannot access your account or make decisions; they simply provide an extra layer of protection.

As always, it’s a good idea to regularly visit our Security Center for updates regarding AI and our latest cybersecurity tips. By staying secure, it makes it easier for all of us to enjoy the conveniences and other enhancements in our daily lives made possible by AI.