IT SERVICE DESK

This October, which is National Cybersecurity Awareness month, we’re focusing on how you can outsmart AI-driven cyber threats.  These threats and attacks are getting more realistic and personal in the age of AI — and the numbers prove it:

• 60% of data breaches involve a human element, like someone clicking a phishing link or reusing a compromised password. (Verizon DBIR)
• Phishing attacks cost an average of $4.44 million per breach (IBM).
• 40% of today’s phishing emails are generated by AI (VIPRE Security Group).
• AI can make more effective phishing emails than skilled humans (Hoxhunt).
• AI phishing campaigns are 95% less costly for bad actors to launch (Harvard Business Review).
• That’s the bad news. The good news?  You are our best defense. Cybersecurity boils down to the choices we make online every day. Each click, each password and MFA use, each report of something suspicious - it all fuels our safety.  Cyber threats might be getting trickier with the use of AI, but we are getting smarter!

Here’s a sneak peek at the topics we’ll cover in October:

• Week 1: Seeing Isn’t Believing – Spotting deep fakes and AI voice scams.
• Week 2: When Emails Write Themselves – AI-generated phishing and spear phishing.
• Week 3: Phishing Everywhere – Defending against scams across calls, texts, and chat apps.
• Week 4: Security for Life – How to make smart cyber choices all year round.

So, let's sharpen our skills, protect each other, and have some fun along the way!