ChatGPT has become the internet's new favorite toy. The AI-driven natural language processing tool has quickly amassed over 1 million users worldwide.
Technologies such as ChatGPT have emerged to revolutionize and automate various processes.
Although the emergence of technology has proved beneficial to various areas of study, does the use of the platform really pose risks to companies' cybersecurity?
It is necessary to keep an eye on AI activities without compromising good practices.
How to use the technological tool
ChatGPT is a language model developed by the company OpenAI. It has been trained using text data from the internet to be able to answer questions and perform tasks based on natural language, such as generating text, translating into other languages, creating chatbots to interact with users, etc.
The tool has proved to be very useful in companies and has enabled professionals from various areas to optimize their work, even in the area of cybersecurity, among developers.
However, the current scenario could raise alarm bells and "bump into" company security. Find out why below.
Can the use of ChatGPT present cybersecurity loopholes?
The answer is yes. In other words, cyber attacks can happen since the ChatGPT bot can successfully signal user requests to create malicious code, phishing emails to obtain credentials or encrypt complete software with ransoware.
In addition, as reported in recent news on the subject, users of underground hacker forums have posted tips on how to use the OpenAI tool to carry out cybercrime and fraud, including: creating malicious tools for hackers who don't yet have experience and developing information-stealing malware (infostealers) and illicit internet markets, among other crimes.
Below we detail the 5 main cybersecurity threats posed by the platform:
1- Phishing emails: using the platform's writing skills, it is possible to create convincing emails to be used in phishing campaigns, with a high level of effectiveness, which means more users clicking on malicious links or providing personal data. One of the threats posed by the tool is the possibility of teaching novice programmers how to code and develop malware, as long as the questioner has access to the right questions and is able to apply the knowledge afterwards.
2- Data theft: data theft is any unauthorized exfiltration and access to confidential data on a network. This includes personal details, passwords or even software code - which can be used by threat actors in a ransomware attack or any other malicious purpose.
3- Fake identity : hackers can use ChatGPT to generate a convincing digital copy of a specific person's writing style, thus allowing criminals to impersonate an individual or organization via email or text message in order to obtain users' private and financial information. They can even impersonate celebrities on social networks.
4- Malware: as ChatGPT is capable of creating software, it is also capable of creating malicious code, helping cybercriminals to increase their productivity, or even those new to cybercrime.
5- Botnets: a botnet attack is a targeted cyberattack in which a collection of devices connected to the Internet is infiltrated and hijacked by a hacker. A botnet attack is carried out by a malicious actor who aims to take control of a group of computers, servers and other types of networks for use in subsequent attacks.
Experts talk about ChatGPT and cybersecurity
A report in Forbes magazine heard from technology experts who were unanimous in saying that ChatGPT is a revolutionary tool, but that it requires care.
In the same way that hackers can create attack structures, professionals will also be able to create their own defenses.
In other words, it is important for your company to take appropriate security measures when using ChatGPT and to monitor your responses closely to ensure that they are appropriate and secure, as well as to take advantage of the technology to learn and use it for good.
In addition, it is essential to be aware of possible security risks and take the necessary measures to minimize them.
This includes keeping software patched and up-to-date, maintaining effective data protection policies and technologies, and equipping the company's most valuable assets with additional security software, such as zero trust protection, while maintaining a culture of vigilance.
Find out more about this topic in our article on the main cybersecurity trends for 2023. You'll see that most of them are related to Artificial Intelligence and IoT.