The launch of advanced artificial intelligence versions by the world's leading technology companies, such as OpenAI's GPT-4o and Google's Gemini 1.5 Pro in May 2024, has brought significant advancements in smart features aimed at optimizing user experience. However, in parallel with these advancements, online fraud scenarios have also increased.
The exponential rise in cybersecurity threats
At a recent seminar, Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, Pham Duc Long, discussed the constant rise in cyber attacks, which are becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex. This increase, aided by AI, is increasing the potential threats users face and making it easier for criminals to create new malware and complex scams.
The National Cyber Security Agency's report highlighted that the cost of AI-related cyber risks will exceed USD 1 trillion worldwide, with Vietnam alone facing an economic hit of VND8-10 trillion. Currently, there is a surge in the use of AI to disguise voices and facial features for fraudulent purposes.
Predictions suggest that by 2025, there could be approximately 3,000 cyber attacks per second, with 12 new types of malware and 70 new vulnerabilities discovered every day.
Deepfake technology expands criminal toolkit
Nguyen Hou Giap, director of BShield, a company that provides security solutions for applications, noted that with current advances in AI technology, it is not difficult to create fake images and voices. Criminals can easily collect user data publicly available on social media or through deceptive tactics such as online job interviews. BShield's simulation showed how a fraudster could insert an existing face from a video call into a fake ID and fuse it with a functioning body to fool the eKYC system and be recognized as a real person.
From a user perspective, Nguyễn Thành Trung, an IT specialist in Ho Chi Minh City, expressed concern that bad actors can easily abuse AI such as chatGPT to create phishing emails that mimic legitimate communications from banks or reputable organizations, sometimes containing malicious software attachments that put unwary clickers at risk.
Important questions and answers:
– How are increasing AI-driven cybersecurity threats impacting businesses and individuals? Advanced AI allows cybercriminals to carry out sophisticated attacks that can lead to the theft of sensitive data, financial loss and damage to reputations. Both businesses and individuals are becoming increasingly vulnerable to these risks, requiring increased security measures and awareness.
– What role does deepfake technology play in cybersecurity risks? Deepfake technology, which creates convincing fake images and voices, poses significant risks as it could be used to impersonate individuals, manipulate perceptions and facilitate fraud. Its affordability and accessibility have raised growing cybersecurity concerns.
– What are the challenges in combating AI-generated cyber threats? AI-generated cyber threats are often sophisticated and rapidly evolving, making them difficult to detect and respond to. One of the main challenges is keeping security measures ahead of evolving threats. The rapid pace of malware creation and criminal use of AI requires continuous technical and procedural improvement of cybersecurity defenses.
Main challenges and controversies:
– Ethical implications: The development of AI that can be misused raises ethical questions about the liability of its creators and the need for regulation and control mechanisms to prevent misuse.
– Privacy Issues: As AI becomes more integrated with personal data, the risk of privacy violations increases, raising contests over data collection, consent, and balancing the benefits of the technology with the right to privacy.
– Regulatory Framework: Establishing a comprehensive global regulatory framework to govern the use of AI for both legitimate and malicious purposes is complex, given that legal standards vary from country to country.
Pros and Cons:
– Next-gen AI benefits: Enhanced AI technologies can revolutionize many industries by increasing efficiency, improving data analysis, and improving service personalization, and they can also help detect and respond to cyber threats more effectively.
– Disadvantages of next-gen AI: The increasing sophistication of AI technology also means that cybercriminals have more advanced tools at their disposal, making cyber threats more complex and harder to detect. Additionally, the potential for AI to be misused for unethical purposes is a major concern.
Related OpenAI and Google are two companies active in developing and deploying advanced AI related to the topic of cybersecurity risks associated with next-generation AI technologies. However, be sure to consult trusted sources to avoid misinformation and stay up to date on the latest developments in the industry.
