It is increasingly appreciated that artificial intelligence aimed at mass consumption is being strengthened with new proposals that expand its field of action. Beyond the virtual assistants known to everyone, there is a new series of tools and applications that facilitate working with images, learning languages, developing video games, creating computer code and generating multimedia content.
Precisely, it is these tools that have begun to be used by cybercriminals. The ease with which cybercriminals can access them has given rise to a new class of scams and crimes that put populations with less technological knowledge in suspense, and therefore, more vulnerable to attacks.
Among this type of attacks with artificial intelligence is social engineering, which has been strengthened with sophisticated criminal techniques whose purpose is the creation of fake emails and messages that are difficult to detect, as well as the impersonation of profiles on social networks and pages. Web.
Another field of artificial intelligence that has fallen into the hands of cybercriminals is the production of falsified multimedia content, also known as deepfakes. This criminal practice manipulates people’s voices or faces with artificial intelligence tools to make them appear saying words they have never uttered, which serves to defame or defraud. For example, with an almost perfectly cloned voice it is possible to make malicious calls requesting confidential information or money in exchange for rewards, among other negative things.
Nor can certain criminal strategies driven by artificial intelligence go unmentioned, such as the development of malware and the identification of vulnerabilities in medium to large-scale computer systems.
How to protect yourself against cybercrime coin artificial intelligence
Keep your software up to date
Security patches embedded in operating systems and computer programs can help prevent exploitation of vulnerabilities and cyber attacks in general.
Use strong passwords
Combine letters, numbers and symbols that are difficult to guess.
Enable two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your online accounts. Use your phone number or an additional email account.
Be wary of unknown emails and links
Emails and links that arrive through messaging apps are the preferred elements for cybercriminals to spread malware and commit phishing scams.
Make backup copies of your data
Backups are an efficient means of recovering your data if your system is attacked.