Page 57 - Cyber Defense eMagazine February 2024

AI Is Revolutionizing Phishing for Both Sides.

What Will Make the Difference?

Thanks to AI, phishing attacks are better than ever. So is our ability to stop them.

By Antonio Sanchez, Principal Cybersecurity Evangelist, Fortra

AI has always been a lurking threat in the context of cybercrime. Since it burst onto the scene in late
2022, ChatGPT has been wielded by black hats of varying skill levels to make phishing attacks more
convincing, more achievable, and more widespread. Not only has there been a rise in quantity, but – and
here’s the aggravating part – in quality as well.

Luckily, the tool can be used by both sides. The only question will be – who will use it better?

Impact of AI on phishing

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Phishing as a cybercrime model has always been successful. Thus, we see
phishers using generative AI to recreate the same old techniques, only better. The result? An unheard-
of 1,235% increase in phishing emails since the launch of ChatGPT.

Phishing emails are now sent with perfect grammar and spelling in a multiplicity of languages, thanks to
generative AI and large language models (LLM). Need a phishing attack in perfect Japanese? Now, you

Cyber Defense eMagazine – February 2024 Edition 57
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