​2024 will be the year cybercriminals take advantage of artificial intelligence to launch attacks that are increasingly difficult to detect, and will be able to target regions they previously had no access to with extremely well-crafted phishing emails, HP Inc. says. experts In addition, in 2024 we will see a greater focus on the security of the software and hardware supply chain, as cybercriminals will try to infect devices as early as possible, says HP.

“In 2024, cybercriminals will take advantage of artificial intelligence to launch unprecedented attacks, generating stealthy phishing lures in seconds. These decoys will look very believable and look indistinguishable from the real thing, making it difficult for employees, even those with special training, to detect them,” said Alex Holland, senior malware analyst at HP Inc.

He also predicts that we are likely to see an increase in massive AI-driven campaigns around key data. For example, in 2024, the largest number of people will vote in the elections in history – with the help of artificial intelligence, cybercriminals will be able to easily create decoys to target certain regions. Likewise, big annual events such as the Paris Olympics and the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament will be an opportunity for hackers to try to trick users.”

And Ian Pratt, global head of security for HP Inc.’s Personal Systems Division. talks about increasing the use of generative artificial intelligence to make detection of phishing lures much more difficult.

“Hackers will be able to automate the writing of emails in minority languages, collect information from public sites such as LinkedIn to obtain information about possible targets and create customized attacks. Once cybercriminals gain access to an email account, they can automatically scan messages for important contacts and conversations and even attachments. They can then send updated versions of the documents with the malware implanted, making it nearly impossible for users to access,” says Pratt.

Setting up attacks usually involves human intervention. The ability to automate such tactics is a real challenge for security teams.

He explains that at a time when risks are rising, the industry is also facing a crisis of skilled workers – the latest figures show that there are 4 million vacancies in the field of cyber security, the highest level in five years.

“In 2024, we will see an increased focus on software and hardware supply chain security as cybercriminals look to infect devices as early as possible—before they reach an employee or company. As awareness and investment in cybersecurity grows each year, hackers have realized that device security at the firmware and hardware level is not keeping up. It is almost impossible to detect violations here. The increasing sophistication of AI also means that hackers will look to create malware that targets the software supply chain, making it easier to create malware disguised as safe programs or software updates,” says Michael Heywood, Business Information Security Specialist HP Inc.

In response to such threats, organizations will need to think more about who they work with, and cyber security must become an integral part of business relationships with third parties. Companies will need to assess the security of their software and hardware supply chain, verify the technical information coming from suppliers to ensure that they can truly trust the technology of their suppliers and partners.”

Phishing is a type of cyber attack designed to trick people into revealing sensitive information.

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