Phishing attacks spike attributed to generative AI adoption

SiliconAngle reports that phishing attacks have increased by 1,265% between the fourth quarter of 2022 and the third quarter of 2023, while credential phishing attacks have risen by 967% over the same period, with the growth fueled by the increasing adoption of generative artificial intelligence. Daily phishing attacks have totaled 31,000 on average, most of which involved business email compromise, according to a SlashNext report. Moreover, almost 50% of surveyed cybersecurity professionals reported being targeted by a BEC attack. Meanwhile, the use of AI in phishing has been noted by HoxHunt co-founder and CEO Mike Aalto. "AI lowers the technical barrier to create a convincing profile picture and impeccable text, not to mention code malware. The threat landscape is shifting incredibly fast now with the introduction of AI to the game. But the good news is that AI can also be used to defend against sophisticated attacks and we've seen that good training continues to have a protective effect against AI-generated threats," said Aalto.