Security News > 2023 > October > Bracing for AI-enabled ransomware and cyber extortion attacks

As businesses scramble to take the lead in operationalizing AI-enabled interfaces, ransomware actors will use it to scale their operations, widen their profit margins, and increase their likelihood of pulling off successful attacks.

Researchers have charted a 37% rise in ransomware incidents in 2023 in the Zscaler cloud, a triple-digit increase in double-extortion tactics across numerous industries, and an overall surge in sector-specific attacks targeting industries like manufacturing.

These attacks ramped up in 2023, a trend we expect to continue as cybercriminals look to easy targets from which to steal sensitive data like PII. Ransomware groups' success is often less about technological sophistication and more about their ability to exploit the human element in cyber defenses.

Without integrating AI into our security solutions, already rampant ransomware activity could become even more disruptive.

Successful ransomware attacks tend to follow a depressingly similar attack pattern.

If we are ultimately headed for a future where cyber criminals use AI to deploy ransomware more effectively, it's essential security teams similarly innovate to bolster their defenses.

News URL

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/10/24/ai-enabled-attacks/