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Academic: AI Will Increase the Quantity — and Quality — of Phishing Scams

Jun 03, 2024 - schneier.com
The article discusses the increasing threat of AI-enhanced phishing attacks, with research showing that 60% of participants fell victim to AI-automated phishing. The use of large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4 and Claude can automate the entire phishing process, reducing costs and increasing success rates. The research also found that AI can drastically reduce the cost of spear phishing attacks while maintaining or increasing their success rate. The threat level varies across industries, organizations, and teams, making it critical to correctly classify the appropriate risk level.

The article also explores the potential of LLMs in detecting phishing emails. Initial findings indicate that LLMs can be helpful for detecting and preventing phishing emails, given they are used correctly. However, their performance varies significantly for different emails. The article concludes with recommendations for businesses to prepare for AI-enabled spear phishing attacks, including understanding the asymmetrical capabilities of AI-enhanced phishing, determining the company's phishing threat severity level, and confirming current phishing awareness routines.

Key takeaways:

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are making phishing emails more advanced and harder to spot, with 60% of participants falling victim to AI-automated phishing.
  • Large Language Models (LLMs) can automate the entire phishing process, reducing the costs of phishing attacks by more than 95% while achieving equal or greater success rates.
  • LLMs can also be used to detect phishing emails and provide recommended actions to the recipient, although their performance varies significantly for different emails.
  • Businesses need to understand the capabilities of AI-enhanced phishing, determine their phishing threat severity level, and confirm their current phishing awareness routines to prepare for the growing threat of AI-enabled spear phishing attacks.
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