AI is advancing fast—and reshaping how we work. That’s exciting, but it also means attackers have access to the same AI tools you do. Below are the real “monsters in the dark” and how to shine a bright light on them.
Doppelgängers In Your Video Chats — Watch Out For Deepfakes
AI-generated deepfakes are getting alarmingly accurate, and attackers use them in social-engineering schemes.
What to watch for: facial inconsistencies (ears, eyes, hair edges), unnatural blinking or lighting, audio that’s slightly out of sync, long silences before answers, and evasiveness about out-of-band verification.
How to defend:
- Require out-of-band verification for sensitive requests (e.g., call a known number or use a second channel like Slack/Teams).
- Use meeting passcodes/waiting rooms and lock meetings after everyone joins.
- Implement role-based permissions and approvals for wire transfers, vendor changes, and access escalations.
- Train teams to pause and verify when anything feels “off.”
Creepy Crawlies In Your Inbox — Smarter Phishing Emails
Phishing isn’t new, but AI now helps criminals write flawless emails and spin up multilingual campaigns. The old red flags (bad grammar, typos) aren’t enough.
How to defend:
- Turn on MFA for email, VPN, and critical apps; favor phishing-resistant methods where possible.
- Deploy advanced email security (link-sandboxing, attachment detonation, impersonation protection, DMARC/DKIM/SPF).
- Run continuous security awareness training with realistic simulations and just-in-time coaching.
- Enforce least privilege and monitor for impossible travel or anomalous sign-ins.
“Skeleton AI Tools” — More Malware Than Machine Learning
Attackers piggyback on AI hype with fake “AI video generators,” cracked tools, or shady browser extensions—often just malware in disguise.
How to defend:
- Never install unvetted AI tools. Route all requests through IT or your MSP (that’s us).
- Use application allow-listing and endpoint detection & response (EDR/MDR) to block and hunt malicious behavior.
- Keep browsers and extensions strictly controlled and auto-updated.
- Disable PowerShell/Script execution where not needed; log and review what runs.
The Playbook That Actually Works
A calm, layered approach beats fear every time:
- Identity & Access: MFA everywhere, Conditional Access, least privilege, periodic access reviews.
- Email & Collaboration Security: Impersonation protection, domain authentication, safe-links/safe-attachments.
- Endpoint & Network: EDR/MDR 24/7, patching automation, DNS/web filtering, zero-trust network segmentation.
- Backups & Resilience: Frequent, immutable backups with offline copies; test restores regularly (BCDR).
- People: Ongoing training, clear policies, and two-person verification for money or data-sensitive actions.
- Response: Documented incident-response runbooks and quarterly tabletop exercises.
Ready To Chase The AI Ghosts Out Of Your Business?
AI threats don’t have to keep you up at night. From deepfakes to phishing to malicious “AI tools,” attackers are getting smarter—but with the right defenses, your business stays one step ahead.
Schedule your free 10-minute Discovery Call today and let’s align the exact safeguards your team needs before small risks become real problems.
Call us: 213-870-8888 (Main) • (818) 918-6710 (Alternate)
Visit: https://www.cmitcybersolutionsla.com/
Download our free book for business leaders: https://www.cmitcybersolutionsla.com/cybersecurity-backbone-book/
CMIT Solutions of LA — Calabasas / Los Angeles
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