New Cyber Threats Everyone Should Know About

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere now from the voice assistant on your phone to the chatbots on business websites. While AI makes our lives easier, it is also creating brand new ways for criminals to attack businesses and steal from consumers. These are not just upgraded versions of old scams, they are completely new threats that even security experts are scrambling to understand.

If you are a business owner or just someone who uses technology daily, you need to know about these emerging threats. Here is what is happening and what you can do to protect yourself.

The Bottom Line Up Front:

• Fake videos and voices are now so realistic they can fool anyone.

• AI-powered scams are becoming incredibly personalized and convincing.

• Business systems using AI are being targeted in new ways.

• Your personal data is being used to train AI systems to attack you.

• The threats are growing faster than our ability to stop them.

  
  

The New Criminal Playbook: How AI is Changing Crime

When Seeing and Hearing Is No Longer Believing

The Deepfake Explosion Remember when you could trust a video call or voice message? Those days are ending. Criminals can now create fake videos and audio that look and sound exactly like real people—including you, your boss, or your family members.

Why This Matters to You: If someone has access to videos of you speaking (from social media, work presentations, or even video calls), they can create a digital copy of your voice and appearance. This fake version can be used to trick your family, friends, or business partners.

Super-Smart Scams That Know Everything About You

AI That Studies You Before Attacking Old scams were obvious because they were generic. New AI-powered scams are different—they study your social media, your work history, your shopping habits, and your relationships before they strike.

How It Works:

• AI systems scan your LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and other online activity.

• They learn your writing style, your interests, your work schedule, and your relationships.

• They create perfectly personalized scam messages that reference real details about your life.

• They time the attacks for when you are most likely to respond (like during work hours or after you have posted about being stressed)

Example: Instead of a generic “You’ve won the lottery!” email, you might receive a message that says: “Hi [Your Name], I saw your LinkedIn post about the new project at [Your Company]. I am working with [Real Company Name] on a partnership opportunity that could really help with the challenges you mentioned. Can we chat this week?

Threats Targeting Your Business

When Your Business AI Gets Hacked

If your business uses AI tools—like chatbots for customer service, AI-powered marketing tools, or automated decision-making systems—you are now a target for a new type of attack.

AI System Hijacking Criminals are learning how to “reprogram” AI systems to do things they were not supposed to do:

• Customer service chatbots being tricked into giving out sensitive customer information.

• AI marketing tools being manipulated to send spam or malicious content to your customers.

• Business decision-making AI being fooled into approving fraudulent transactions.

The New Industrial Espionage

Stealing Your AI Brain If your business has invested time and money into training AI systems, competitors or criminals might try to steal that investment:

• They send fake customers to interact with your AI systems thousands of times.

• They analyze the responses to reverse-engineer how your AI works.

• They recreate your AI system without paying for the research and development.

Threats Targeting Consumers

Your Digital Identity Can Be Stolen and Replicated

Beyond Identity Theft—Identity Cloning Traditional identity theft involved stealing your credit card or Social Security number. AI-powered identity cloning is more sophisticated:

• Criminals create AI versions of your personality, writing style, and behavior patterns.

• They use this to impersonate you convincingly in emails, social media, or even video calls.

• They can maintain long-term impersonations that fool even close friends and family.

Warning Signs:

• Friends or family mentioning conversations you do not remember having.

• Online accounts showing activity you did not perform.

• People responding to messages you did not send.

Your Smart Devices Become Spy Networks

When AI Devices Turn Against You Smart speakers, security cameras, smart TVs, and even smart thermostats with AI capabilities can be compromised:

• Criminals gain access to always-listening devices in your home.

• They use AI to analyze your conversations and daily routines.

• This information is used to plan physical break-ins or more sophisticated scams.

How to Protect Yourself

For Business Owners

Immediate Actions You Can Take:

1.Verify Before You Trust

• Never approve large financial transactions based solely on phone calls or video calls.

• Create verification procedures that require multiple forms of confirmation.

• Train employees to be suspicious of urgent requests, even from apparent authority figures.

2.Secure Your AI Systems

• If you use AI tools, ask your providers about their security measures.

• Monitor your AI systems for unusual behavior or outputs.

• Have backup decision-making processes that do not rely on AI.

3.Protect Your Data

• Limit how much business information you share publicly online.

• Be careful about what data you use to train AI systems.

• Regularly audit who has access to your business AI tools.

4.Employee Training

• Teach staff about deepfake technology and how to spot it.

• Create protocols for verifying identity in high stakes situations.

• Regular training on new AI-powered scam techniques

For Consumers

Protect Yourself Daily:

1. Be Skeptical of Perfect Communications

• If an email, text, or call seems perfectly tailored to your situation, be extra careful.

• When in doubt, verify through a different communication method.

• Trust your instincts—if something feels too convenient or coincidental, it might be AI-generated.

2. Limit Your Digital Footprint

• Be cautious about what you share on social media.

• Avoid posting videos of yourself speaking whenever possible.

• Use privacy settings to limit who can see your personal information.

3. Verify Identity in High-Stakes Situations

• For important financial or personal decisions, verify identity through multiple methods.

• Ask questions that only the real person would know.

• If someone claims to be in an emergency, hang up and call them back directly.

4. Secure Your Smart Devices

• Change default passwords on all AI-enabled devices.

• Regularly update device software

• Consider disconnecting smart devices when not needed.

Why Traditional Insurance Is not Enough

Most business insurance and personal cyber insurance policies do not cover AI-specific attacks because:

• These threats are too new for insurance companies to understand.

• The damage can be difficult to prove (how do you prove an AI system was manipulated?)

• The scale of potential damage is unprecedented.

What to Expect in the Future

The Threats Will Get Worse

Coming Soon:

• AI systems that can maintain fake relationships for months or years

• Criminals using AI to automatically find and exploit new weaknesses.

• Fake AI systems that look legitimate but are designed to steal information.

• AI-powered attacks that can adapt and change their methods in real-time.

But Defense Is Improving Too

Reasons for Hope:

• New AI tools are being developed specifically to detect AI-generated fakes.

• Banks and large companies are investing heavily in AI security.

• Governments are starting to create laws and regulations for AI safety.

• Technology companies are building better security into AI systems from the start.

Red Flags: When to Be Extra Careful

Warning Signs of AI-Powered Attacks

Be Immediately Suspicious If:

• Someone contacts you with urgent financial requests, even if they seem legitimate.

• You receive communications that reference specific details about your life.

• Video or audio calls have any unusual delays, glitches, or seem “off” in any way.

• You are asked to bypass normal security procedures “just this once.”

• Someone claims to be in an emergency but asks you not to contact them directly.

Trust Your Instincts

The most important defense against AI-powered attacks is remembering that if something feels wrong, it probably is. AI might be getting smarter, but human intuition is still one of our best defenses.

What You Should Do Right Now

This Week:

• Have conversations with your family and employees about these new threats.

• Set up verification procedures for any important financial or personal decisions.

• Review your privacy settings on social media and other online accounts.

• Check your business insurance to ensure you have Cyber Security coverage and does it cover AI-related incidents.

This Month:

• Create backup processes that do not rely on AI for critical decisions.

• Train your team on how to spot and respond to AI-powered attacks.

• Audit your AI systems if you use them in business.

• Consider working with security professionals who understand AI threats.

The Bottom Line

AI is transforming our world in amazing ways, but it is also creating new opportunities for criminals. The key to staying safe is not avoiding AI, it is understanding the risks and taking smart precautions.

These threats are real, they are growing, and they are affecting people right now. But by staying informed, being cautious, and taking proactive steps to protect yourself and your business, you can enjoy the benefits of AI while minimizing the risks.

Stay alert, stay informed, and stay safe in the age of artificial intelligence.

Questions about AI security for your business, reach out to us to find out how we can help.