The rise of generative AI in chatbots, search platforms, automation software, and more has been accompanied by a darker use of the new computing paradigm—cyberattacks. Malicious actors are increasingly using generative AI to create new attacks to accelerate the speed and scale of their assaults on businesses of all sizes. Phishing campaigns, social engineering attacks, and even deepfake videos can now be dynamically modified as generative AI learns what doesn’t work to breach a company’s endpoints and keeps adapting to find an attack that does.
Financial services, healthcare, manufacturers, distributors, and core businesses in complex supply chains are most at risk, but any business that can be extorted to regain control over key data or access to their systems is at risk. And the relative affordability of generative AI technology means that the threat is only growing. According to Deloitte’s Center for Financial Services, fraud losses from generative AI will reach $40 billion in the United States by 2027, up from $12.3 billion in 2023.
Mobile and remote workforces have complicated the job of maintaining cybersecurity, forcing a shift from centralized systems to endpoint defense. Laptops, desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones can all allow access for a malware, phishing, or ransomware attack, and if your current cybersecurity rests on the ability of human staff to recognize and respond to incidents, you’re likely to see significant losses from AI-powered attacks.
Fortunately, the technological capabilities that can be exploited for cyberattacks can also be used to defend against them. But the time to do so is now, because AI is already significantly shifting the threat landscape. For example, Vasu Jakkal of Microsoft noted that in 2021 the company saw 567 identity-related (password-related) attacks per second, and today they’re seeing 7,000 such attacks per second. AI in endpoint defense helps to level the playing field by:
| Aspect | Details |
| Expediting Data Ingestion and Normalization | AI quickly examines logs from endpoints, SaaS apps, and on-premises servers, mapping data to a universal schema. Reduces analysis time from days to minutes. |
| Enhancing Identification of Incidents | AI-powered correlation engines review millions of alerts, rapidly identifying and prioritizing critical incidents. |
| Speeding Up Triage and Response | AI tools enable advanced searches, generate remediation scripts, and cut manual forensics time to minutes. Prebuilt playbooks isolate compromised endpoints or block malicious IPs quickly. |
| Improving Attack Path Analysis | AI combines threat intelligence, user permissions, vulnerabilities, and network data to identify intrusion routes. Recommends targeted fixes to block potential attack paths, enhancing proactive security. |
To ensure that AI can be effective at leveling up your cybersecurity to meet growing AI-enabled threats, it has to be integrated into your overall cybersecurity strategy, not merely bolted on. This means:
Keeping human expertise in the loop to refine AI findings and reduce the number of false alarms.
The volume and nature of cyberattacks are now only limited by the speed at which AI can generate new tactics. Right Click, Inc., can provide advanced endpoint defense and response to keep your business from being victimized by novel threats. Our highly trained in-house technicians couple the latest in security technology with human expertise to provide round-the-clock support. If you’re concerned that your current security posture is inadequate in the face of AI-based attacks, contact us here today to schedule your consultation.