AI of the Dark Web: The dangers you need to know

AI is changing all aspects of human reality, generating radical changes.

The Dark Web is a part of the internet are composed of all those web pages that traditional search engines can not identify because they are not indexed. Most of these web pages do not include links from other websites that serve as a reference so that search engines can perform their crawling. In order to access this cyberspace, you have to use a specific program that few people know about.

AI has already arrived in the Dark Web ecosystem creating highly dangerous platforms, with unimaginable consequences.

What used to be an anonymous place to share and sell information in hidden forums with certain illicit activities, today has become a very sophisticated marketplace, with all kinds of AI tools to automate attacks and facilitate cybercrime.

In just one year, mentions and sales of AI tools on the Dark Web have risen by more than 300%. Phishing scams have increased five-fold, and 79% of companies globally have suffered an AI-related security breach. What used to require advanced technical knowledge can now be done with simple natural language instructions. The only requirement is to pay a monthly fee and you get easy access to any crime. However, AI has not yet been used to develop innovative cyberattack capabilities; rather, it has served to improve productivity and streamline basic tasks.

The Dark Web ecosystem has a well-organized structure. There are groups that specialize in accessing corporate networks and then sell that access to potential intersecting customers. They have even improved the technique by using AI to clean, certify and organize the stolen databases, ensuring that the information they sell is useful.

A powerful enemy

Dark AI is specifically created to harness the power of these platforms, carry out cyber attacks, infiltrate systems and manipulate data. Its most important goal is to exploit the vulnerabilities of digital structures. Its effects usually go unnoticed until irreversible damage has already occurred.

Due to the evolutionary nature of this ecosystem, dark AI can overcome conventional security defenses, making it difficult to detect and mitigate cyberthreats. It can also be used to automate sophisticated attacks on a large scale. This poses a threat to a wide range of digital and information systems, from personal data to critical infrastructure.

The emergence of illegal AI platforms such as FraudGPT and other similar resources has profound implications for both organizations and consumers. Dark AI tools represent a new era in which AI tools can be trained to penetrate networks with malware, create ransomware to hijack corporate systems or generate deepfakes for exploitation or extortion. This poses a serious threat to corporate networks and the security of personal data.

The increasing use of dark AI underscores the need for more advanced tools to detect and identify AI-generated dangers. In addition, organizations need experience and preparation to mitigate these threats, and they must be prepared to combat an unprecedented volume of attacks. The ease presented by criminal tools such as FraudGPT demands a change in the current perspective of cybersecurity, with a strong focus on AI and machine learning to get ahead and work against these threats.

Social engineering

A subgenre of social engineering has been developed through AI: phishing. The goal is to manipulate human behavior to share private data, passwords or manage money and cryptocurrencies.

Social engineering attacks use AI to facilitate research, creativity and the realization of the attack. Cybercriminals will also use AI to identify a perfect target that can be used to enter the organization's computer environment, and develop an identity and the corresponding online presence to communicate with the victim. AI will also help cybercriminals to develop a credible scenario that generates the necessary attention to cause the intended damage.

Organizations should implement robust dark web surveillance to combat corrupt AI threats. These resources should leverage the power of AI and automation to detect and respond to emerging threats, including identifying stolen data, compromised credentials, and malicious activity. Dark web monitoring helps companies to anticipate cybercriminals and take the necessary measures to protect their confidential information.