Authored by: Bryan Lachapelle, President & CEO
Halloween brings plenty of monsters out of hiding. Vampires. Mummies. Shapeshifters. Fortunately, the ones walking around your neighbourhood are usually just looking for candy. The monsters businesses need to worry about are much harder to recognize.
Artificial intelligence is helping businesses save time, automate tasks and improve productivity. But cybercriminals are using the same technology to make scams more convincing.
At B4 Networks, we work with organizations across Niagara, Hamilton, Simcoe County and the GTHA, and the rise of AI is changing what businesses and their employees need to look for when it comes to cybersecurity.
The good news is that you don't have to become an expert at spotting AI-generated content. You need good processes that still work when the disguise is convincing. Here are three AI monsters worth watching for this Halloween.
AI Shapeshifters: Can You Trust a Voice or Video Anymore?
There was a time when hearing someone's voice or seeing them on video provided a pretty good indication that you were actually communicating with that person.
AI has changed that.
Cybercriminals can use AI-generated audio, video and images to impersonate executives, employees, vendors and other trusted contacts. That means a voicemail that sounds like your CEO or a video that appears to show someone you recognize should not automatically be treated as proof of identity. And as AI-generated content improves, relying on employees to spot tiny inconsistencies is becoming less effective.
Instead, businesses need verification procedures. If someone requests a money transfer, changes banking information, asks for sensitive information or makes another unusual request, employees should know how to verify it through a trusted second method. For example, call the person using a phone number you already have on file rather than one included in the suspicious message.
The lesson: Don't rely on what looks or sounds real. Verify sensitive requests.
AI Mummies: Why Are Phishing Emails Getting Harder to Spot?
The phishing scam isn't new. It just has a much better costume. For years, employees were told to look for spelling mistakes, poor grammar, strange wording and awkward formatting as signs of phishing. Those signs aren't as dependable anymore.
AI can help cybercriminals create polished, professional messages that sound much more like legitimate business communication. The original article makes this same point, noting that phishing scams can now have perfect spelling, grammar and readability while remaining just as dangerous.
Instead of only asking whether an email looks suspicious, employees should consider whether the request is suspicious. Is a vendor suddenly changing payment information? Is an executive asking you to buy something urgently? Is someone requesting information they normally wouldn't need? Does an unexpected email want you to sign into an account? Does the request bypass your normal business process?
A perfectly written email can still be a scam.
The lesson: Pay attention to what someone is asking you to do, not just how professional the message looks.
AI Vampires: Don't Invite Unapproved AI Into Your Business
According to vampire folklore, a vampire cannot enter your home unless you invite it in. AI creates a surprisingly similar cybersecurity problem. Employees are increasingly using AI tools to make their jobs easier. They may use them to summarize documents, write emails, organize information or answer questions. But what happens when employees start using AI tools that your business hasn't approved? And what happens when sensitive business information gets pasted into them?
An employee might copy a financial report, customer information, internal notes or another confidential document into an AI platform without thinking about where that information goes or how it could be used. This is one example of Shadow IT, where employees use technology that has not been reviewed or approved by the organization. The original blog highlights this risk specifically in relation to employees entering sensitive information into unvetted AI platforms.
Before employees use AI for business information, your organization should be able to answer:
-Is this an approved AI tool?
-What information are employees allowed to enter?
-What information should never be entered?
-How is our information stored?
-Who could potentially have access to it?
Your employees shouldn't have to make those decisions on their own.
The lesson: Give your employees clear rules about which AI tools they can use and what information can be shared with them.
How Can Businesses Protect Themselves From AI Cybersecurity Threats?
The answer isn't banning AI or trying to teach every employee how to identify a deepfake. It's putting processes in place that make your business harder to fool. That means verifying unusual financial or sensitive requests, using multi-factor authentication, training employees to recognize suspicious behaviour, controlling which AI tools are approved and establishing clear rules around sensitive information.
Your cybersecurity strategy should assume that scams are going to become more convincing. Because they will.
The Best Defence Against AI Monsters? Better Rules.
AI can make cyberattacks faster, more polished and much more convincing. But it doesn't make your business powerless. You don't need garlic hanging around the office. You need employees who know how to verify unusual requests, clear rules for using AI and cybersecurity protections designed around the way your business actually operates.
At B4 Networks, we help businesses across Niagara, Hamilton, Simcoe County and the GTHA understand cybersecurity risks, strengthen their protections and make smarter decisions about how AI is used in the workplace.
Not sure what AI tools your employees are using or what information they're putting into them? That's a good place to start.
Book a discovery call or call 905-228-4809 (Niagara) or 705-885-0993 (Barrie). We'll help you look at how AI is being used in your business, how sensitive requests are verified and where there may be gaps in your cybersecurity.
