2024 cybersecurity outlook: The rise of AI voice chatbots and prompt engineering innovations

In their 2024 cybersecurity outlook, WatchGuard researchers forecast headline-stealing hacks involving LLMs, AI-based voice chatbots, modern VR/MR headsets, and more in the coming year.
Companies and individuals are experimenting with LLMs to increase operational efficiency.
Threat actors are learning how to exploit LLMs for their own malicious purposes as well.
During 2024, the WatchGuard Threat Lab predicts that a smart prompt engineer whether a criminal attacker or researcher will crack the code and manipulate an LLM into leaking private data.
With approximately 3.4 million open cybersecurity jobs, and fierce competition for the talent that is available, more small- to midsized- companies will turn to trusted managed service and security service providers, known as MSPs and MSSPs, to protect them in 2024.
To accommodate growing demand and scarce staffing resources, MSPs and MSSPs will double down on unified security platforms with heavy automation using AI and ML. Cybercriminals can already buy tools on the underground that send spam email, automatically craft convincing texts, and scrape the internet and social media for a particular target's information and connections, but a lot of these tools are still manual and require attackers to target one user or group at a time.
Well-formatted procedural tasks like these are perfect for automation via artificial intelligence and machine learning - making it likely that AI-powered tools will emerge as best sellers on the dark web in 2024.
While Voice over Internet Protocol and automation technology make it easy to mass dial thousands of numbers, once a potential victim has been baited onto a call, it still takes a human scammer to reel them in.
WatchGuard predicts that the combination of convincing deepfake audio and LLMs capable of carrying on conversations with unsuspecting victims will greatly increase the scale and volume of vishing calls.
What's more, they may not even require a human threat actor's participation.
Virtual and mixed reality headsets are finally beginning to gain mass appeal.
Wherever new and useful technologies emerge, criminal and malicious hackers follow.
In 2024, Threat Lab researchers forecast that either a researcher or malicious hacker will find a technique to gather some of the sensor data from VR/MR headsets to recreate the environment users are playing in.
While quick response codes - which provide a convenient way to follow a link with a device such as a mobile phone - have been around for decades, mainstream usage has exploded in recent years.
Threat Lab analysts expect to see a major, headline-stealing hack in 2024 caused by an employee following a QR code to a malicious destination.


This Cyber News was published on www.helpnetsecurity.com. Publication date: Mon, 04 Dec 2023 04:43:04 +0000


Cyber News related to 2024 cybersecurity outlook: The rise of AI voice chatbots and prompt engineering innovations

Chatbots and Human Conversation - If you wanted results, you needed to learn the computer's language. Large language models-the technology undergirding modern chatbots-allow users to interact with computers through natural conversation, an innovation that introduces some baggage from ...
8 months ago Schneier.com
Forget Deepfakes or Phishing: Prompt Injection is GenAI's Biggest Problem - Cybersecurity professionals and technology innovators need to be thinking less about the threats from GenAI and more about the threats to GenAI from attackers who know how to pick apart the design weaknesses and flaws in these systems. Chief among ...
8 months ago Darkreading.com
Voice Assistants and Privacy: Striking the Right Balance - The pervasive presence of voice assistants in our lives is a testament to the power of technology and its potential for furthering human progress. Voice assistants are digital, voice-controlled devices that allow users to interact with a virtual ...
9 months ago Securityzap.com
Deep dive into synthetic voice phishing defense - Voice phishing attacks are an escalating threat and this alarming statistic highlights a pervasive lack of awareness among the general population. At the moment, different techniques are being used by both big and small businesses to fight back ...
8 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Social Engineering: The Art of Human Hacking - Social engineering exploits this vulnerability by manipulating human psychology and emotions to gain unauthorized access to systems and data. Rather than directly breaking cyber defenses, social engineering tactics exploit human vulnerabilities - ...
9 months ago Offsec.com
Social Engineering Attacks: Tactics and Prevention - Social engineering attacks have become a significant concern in today's digital landscape, posing serious risks to the security and sensitive information of individuals and organizations. By comprehending these tactics and implementing preventive ...
8 months ago Securityzap.com
Chatbots: Transforming Tech, Creating Jobs, and Making Waves - Not too long ago, chatbots were seen as fun additions to customer service. They have evolved significantly with advancements in AI, machine learning, and natural language processing. A recent report suggests that the chatbot market is set for ...
8 months ago Cysecurity.news
How AI can be hacked with prompt injection: NIST report - As AI proliferates, so does the discovery and exploitation of AI cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Prompt injection is one such vulnerability that specifically attacks generative AI. In Adversarial Machine Learning: A Taxonomy and Terminology of Attacks ...
6 months ago Securityintelligence.com
2024 cybersecurity outlook: The rise of AI voice chatbots and prompt engineering innovations - In their 2024 cybersecurity outlook, WatchGuard researchers forecast headline-stealing hacks involving LLMs, AI-based voice chatbots, modern VR/MR headsets, and more in the coming year. Companies and individuals are experimenting with LLMs to ...
10 months ago Helpnetsecurity.com
Fortinet Contributes to World Economic Forum's Strategic Cybersecurity Talent Framework - Shining a light on the cybersecurity workforce challenge, the World Economic Forum recently published its Strategic Cybersecurity Talent Framework, which is intended to serve as a reference for public and private decision-makers concerned by the ...
4 months ago Feeds.fortinet.com
Microsoft fixes Outlook Desktop crashes when sending emails - Microsoft has fixed a known issue causing Outlook Desktop clients to crash when sending emails from Outlook.com accounts. These problems were first reported on Microsoft's community website and other social networks by customers saying they were ...
10 months ago Bleepingcomputer.com
Microsoft: Outlook clients not syncing over Exchange ActiveSync - Microsoft warned Outlook for Microsoft 365 users that clients might have issues connecting to email servers via Exchange ActiveSync after a January update. Exchange ActiveSync is an Exchange synchronization protocol using HTTP and XML to let users ...
7 months ago Bleepingcomputer.com
Green Technology Innovations: Sustainable Solutions - Unveil the reality behind green technology innovations by exploring the realm of sustainable solutions. Green technology presents a wide array of sustainable innovations, such as solar panels and wind turbines, offering eco-friendly solutions to our ...
6 months ago Securityzap.com
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Evolution of Cybercrime - The role of artificial intelligence in the realm of cybercrime has become increasingly prominent, with cybercriminals leveraging AI tools to execute successful attacks. Defenders in the cybersecurity field are actively combating these threats. As ...
9 months ago Cysecurity.news
What the cybersecurity workforce can expect in 2024 - For cybersecurity professionals, 2023 was a mixed bag of opportunities and concerns. The good news is that the number of people in cybersecurity jobs has reached its highest number ever: 5.5 million, according to the 2023 ISC2 Global Workforce Study. ...
9 months ago Securityintelligence.com
Student Cybersecurity Clubs: Fostering Online Safety - Student cybersecurity clubs are playing a crucial role in promoting online safety among students. Student cybersecurity clubs play a vital role in this regard, as they provide a platform for students to learn about the latest threats, share best ...
9 months ago Securityzap.com
How to become a cybersecurity architect - Cybersecurity architects implement and maintain a comprehensive cybersecurity framework to protect their company's digital assets. The cybersecurity architect position is a fundamental role that all organizations need, said Lester Nichols, director ...
3 months ago Techtarget.com
How software engineering will evolve in 2024 - From artificial intelligence and digital twin technologies, to platform engineering rooted in devops principles, to chaos engineering techniques that enhance resilience, to the expanded use of internal developer portals that boost productivity, ...
9 months ago Infoworld.com
Digital Learning Tools for Cybersecurity Education - In the field of cybersecurity education, digital learning tools have become indispensable. This article explores various digital learning tools tailored specifically to cybersecurity education. These digital learning tools play a crucial role in ...
9 months ago Securityzap.com
Growing threats outpace cybersecurity workforce - The cybersecurity skills shortage threatens the well-being and even survival of numerous businesses as cybersecurity threats grow more numerous, sophisticated, and dangerous to the point that cybersecurity groups have vowed not to pay ransom demands. ...
8 months ago Legal.thomsonreuters.com
Microsoft fixes connection issue affecting Outlook email apps - Microsoft has fixed a known issue causing desktop and mobile email clients to fail to connect when using Outlook.com accounts. More details on how to use app passwords with apps without two-step verification support can be found in this support ...
8 months ago Bleepingcomputer.com
Microsoft Outlook December updates trigger ICS security alerts - Microsoft is investigating an issue that triggers Outlook security alerts when trying to open. ICS calendar files after installing December 2023 Patch Tuesday Office security updates. The company also revealed that the security warning will be ...
8 months ago Bleepingcomputer.com
Cyber Employment 2024: Sky-High Expectations Fail Businesses & Job Seekers - Well-publicized estimates of a massive shortfall in cybersecurity workers have resulted in high expectations among job seekers in the field, but the reality often falls flat, because of a mismatch between companies' requirements and job seekers' ...
9 months ago Darkreading.com
Cybersecurity Curriculum Development Tips for Schools - With the constant threat of cyber attacks, schools must prioritize the development of a robust cybersecurity curriculum to equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge. This article provides valuable insights and tips for schools aiming to ...
9 months ago Securityzap.com
The Importance of Cybersecurity Education in Schools - Cybersecurity education equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to protect themselves and others from cyber threats. Cybersecurity education can teach students about the impact of cyberbullying, how to prevent it, and how to respond ...
9 months ago Securityzap.com

Latest Cyber News


Cyber Trends (last 7 days)


Trending Cyber News (last 7 days)