By Kristin Shoe
One of the biggest news stories in the past year has been the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), the science of creating machines that can think like humans, something that is both exciting and frightening. There are probably numerous ways in which AI can help medical practices work more efficiently, while providing quality care. However, one of the downsides will be in the realm of cybersecurity. In this regard, Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre recently warned that the rapid development in AI will likely contribute to the global rise in ransomware attacks.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at the ways AI is being used to empower cybercrime activity.
Deepfakes
Deepfakes involve phony audio and/or visual media that appears to be authentic. A CEO’s voice, for example, might be employed to engage in a phone call to an employee requesting that a large sum of money be wired to an account. The employee fully believes that his employer is on the other end of the phone.
Password Cracking
While hackers in the past have spent hours attempting to guess a user password, AI programs are able to generate vast numbers of password variations using simple algorithms in a short period of time.
Hacking
Hacking attempts by humans cannot begin to compete with those powered by AI. The hacking capabilities of AI programs are exponentially more effective than those of humans.
Business Email Compromise
Criminals have begun to use social engineering once they’ve gained access to a business’s email, posing as business partners or clients, and asking for payment. The use of AI accelerates this process dramatically, and even security professionals are often unable to recognize generated emails.
Advanced Persistent Threats
This type of attack allows information from the targeted network to be gleaned over time, with the breach itself evading detection. AI algorithms automate and enhance this process.
Ransomware Attacks
Ransomware attacks are improved and strengthened via AI algorithms.
Fraudulent Transactions
AI-generated financial transactions target businesses and evade traditional fraud detection.
Distributed Denial of Service Attacks (DDOS)
AI botnets are powered to attack business websites, overwhelming them with malicious traffic, eventually disabling the site completely.
While the power of AI has dramatically increased the threat potential from cybercriminals, IT security experts are also using AI defensively to protect business networks. New AI-driven cybersecurity solutions are constantly evolving to detect threats in real-time and respond instantly, so it’s important for medical practices to stay aware of the coming threats and solutions.
Kristin Shoe is the Director of Marketing for SIP Oasis.
