AI helps phishing scams get smarter How companies can respond to new threats

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, phishing fraud methods have become more subtle and intelligent. Scammers are using artificial intelligence tools, combined with social media and personalized messaging, to make these scams more difficult to identify, leading to an unprecedented rise in cybercrime.

How artificial intelligence is fueling phishing scams

Scammers use artificial intelligence technology to quickly capture a large amount of information about targets on social media platforms, including personal habits, interests, social circles and behavioral patterns. By analyzing this data, scammers can more accurately simulate the victim's tone, style and behavior, thereby creating highly deceptive phishing emails or messages to defraud victims of sensitive data. For example, there has been a significant increase in personalized phishing scams targeting corporate executives recently. Scammers are well-planned and able to launch efficient attacks through collected personal information.

Kirsty Kelly, chief information security officer of British insurance company Beazley, pointed out in an interview with the Financial Times: "These attacks are becoming more and more sophisticated and personalized, and we suspect that artificial intelligence is behind them." This shows that AI plays a key role in driving cybercrime to become more intelligent and stealthy.

How businesses can use artificial intelligence to fight back

While scammers have had success using AI tools to create phishing attacks, businesses can also use artificial intelligence to combat this threat. Developers are developing efficient AI systems to identify and block malicious content and code generated by artificial intelligence. These AI systems can detect abnormal behavior before an attack occurs and prevent it.

According to a PYMNTS survey, more than half of companies are already using artificial intelligence to help prevent cybercrime. Many interviewees expect that in the next seven years, AI will play a greater role in corporate cybersecurity defenses, helping companies respond to increasingly complex cyberattacks in real time.

Employee training is crucial

In addition to relying on technical means, employees’ cybersecurity awareness is also the key to preventing phishing scams. By providing regular training to employees, educating them on how to identify phishing emails and understand the latest fraud techniques, companies can significantly reduce the risk of encountering fraud. This not only avoids huge compensation and financial losses, but also prevents damage to the corporate brand image.

For example, in November 2024, the Stop & Shop supermarket suffered a serious cyber attack. The company suffered a major data breach and not only paid a large sum of money, but also had to issue an emergency announcement to the public. By strengthening employee safety education, many companies have been able to effectively reduce the occurrence of similar incidents.