No doubt, you have recently thought or read about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is impacting your life, especially from a security perspective. By now we have all interacted with some form of AI; Alexa, Siri, marketing chatbots, and bank mobile apps to name a few. AI will become more sophisticated and continue to shape our future, but like any innovative technology, it has both positive and negative impacts on society.
In its basic form, AI is the science of making machines that can think like humans, giving them the ability to perform cognitive functions like reasoning, learning and problem solving. From healthcare to education, financial services to even mining, AI is revolutionizing industries. Used responsibly, AI can liberate us from monotonous, time-consuming tasks, providing us with opportunities to be creative and focus on more important activities. Used irresponsibly, AI can spread misinformation, breach privacy and security and cause havoc.
From a cyber security perspective, it seems ironic that hackers use AI to drive cyberattacks, and on the flipside, AI is used to help protect us from such attacks by using authentication processes that sift through and monitor computer systems to identify threats in real time. It is mind boggling!
Practicing basic, online safety can help protect you from AI scams and attacks.
Keep up with software updates: Software updates are often designed to provide security measures that help fix vulnerabilities and enhance security protocols, protecting your devices from cyberattacks. Don’t ignore those update reminders.
Think before you click: Before you open an email attachment or click on a link, take a moment to confirm who sent the email. Never click on a link that asks you to change your password unless you have initiated the process. Always check the URL of the landing page of a banking or financial institution to make sure it is valid.
Add multi-factor authentication (MFA): Yes, it’s a pain in the neck when you want to access a site quickly, but it can make all the difference when you are protecting sensitive information, especially your financial accounts!
Use strong, unique passwords: Do not use personal identifiable information (PII) in your passwords. Birthdates, addresses, family names and such can all be found in public records and social media accounts. Longer passwords with letters, numbers and characters are more difficult to guess. Consider using a phrase instead of a word, especially one that makes no sense! Password management apps are available to help you create and manage better passwords.
Sharing isn’t always Caring: Don’t share your passwords. Sharing a password for one account gives someone access to other accounts with the same or similar password. Once a password is shared, you have lost control of the security of that password. Do not post personal information like home or work addresses or upcoming trip dates and destinations on public forums.
Use secure wi-fi: It’s best to limit your use of public wi-fi as it is unsecure. Using public wi-fi puts you at risk for man-in-the middle attack; an attacker positioned between you and the server you are trying to access can capture your traffic and steal PII, or potentially install malware or spyware on your device. Consider using a personal mobile hotspot or a virtual private network (VPN).
Clean up: Delete apps and accounts (including old email accounts) you no longer use. Clear your browsing history on a regular basis.
Avoid AI phone/email scams: Two of the most common AI scams are cloned voices and personalized phishing emails. Unless you are 100% sure you are talking to someone you know or trust, never confirm PII, provide a PIN or agree to transfer money based on a phone call or in response to an email you have received. One way to verify your caller’s identity is to ask them a question that only they would know the answer to. Remember, it is highly unlikely that your bank will contact you by phone to request a money transfer.
There is no denying that AI is fascinating technology that can be beneficial when incorporated responsibly and ethically into our daily lives. Providing rapid access to information, bridging language gaps, predicting problems, and helping us navigate the future are just a few of the benefits AI provides. Let’s embrace the advantages this emerging technology offers and continue to stay vigilant with our cybersecurity protocols and systems.
To learn more about investing in the future of AI, please call our office to schedule a consultation with one of our advisers.
And yes, this was written by a real, live human😊