By allowing machines to carry out traditionally human functions, businesses far and wide have been able to cut costs, increase customer satisfaction, and eliminate human error. But there is a dark side of artificial intelligence (AI) that your business should be aware of. We shed light here.

AI Scams: What We’re Hearing

Although AI has freed up time for business leaders to focus on more strategic planning, it has introduced risk, mostly in the form of AI voice clone scams.

Picture this:

Your Human Resources department receives a call from an employee who informs them that she is redirecting your payroll direct deposit to a different bank. The HR team thinks nothing of it since it did not sound like an automated scam call. Turns out it was a fake AI call that exactly replicated the employee’s voice. The company did not realize until two payroll cycles that this was a fake email banking redirect.

How can you protect yourself/your business?

• Never answer calls from unknown numbers. If it is a legitimate caller, they can always leave a voicemail with information on how to call them back. If you have already picked up the call, hang up and call the number back. Hackers are unlikely to intercept your outgoing call.
• Be skeptical when asked for money over the phone.
• Verify the person’s identity by asking a specific question that only the person would be able to answer (something that cannot be found on social media, either)
• Make it a policy to perform a call back of the individual requesting potentially sensitive information (to confirm identity).
• Never share your phone number on social media
• If the attacker threatens you or someone you know, call or text that person directly to ensure they are safe.

Have you prioritized employee training?

Does your organization prioritize cybersecurity training for employees? If not, it should! In the last few years more than 90% of cyberattacks began with an employee opening a phony email. Now there is the added possibility of an AI scam call.

3 Tips For Reducing Your Risk of An Attack:

1. Keep your employees up to date on the latest phishing scams. Employees should be wary of opening any email that looks suspicious/out of place, and refrain from clicking any links in such emails. When it comes to phone calls, employees should think twice before sharing any personal information over the phone.
2. Standardize a company-wide process for periodically updating passwords. Some companies require everyone to change their password every 30 days, and include a variety of characters (mix of capital and lowercase letters, eight or more characters, etc.) Make the process automatic so employees are prompted every time their passwords expire.
3. Train early and OFTEN- Consider including cybersecurity training in your onboarding process so it’s always top of mind. As new employees integrate into the workforce, knowing their level of awareness will help you tailor training to their needs. We work with clients to design cyber training that can be used during the onboarding process, covering everything from password security to penetration testing, customized for your specific needs and industry.

Questions? We are here to help keep you and your data safe. Wondering how you can improve your response to AI fraud? Contact us.