Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Law firms really are under constant pressure to meet tight deadlines, maintain client confidentiality and protect privileged communications. And like most aspects of life with technology so deeply intertwined, the same tools that make work possible can also be significant sources of risk. Consider something as basic as email; likely the most commonly used tool in the profession.

Welcome back. In our last blog post, we talked about the great divide between tech-focused and people-focused security. Now, let’s get nerdy and talk about the fascinating, complex, and occasionally infuriating operating system at the heart of the problem: the human brain. Ever wondered why that "Urgent Invoice" email from a brand-new supplier creates an immediate jolt of anxiety that makes you want to click? That’s not a logic failure; it’s a feature.

Attackers are abusing AI-powered development platforms like Lovable, Netlify and Vercel to create and host captcha challenge websites as part of phishing campaigns, according to researchers at Trend Micro. “Since January, Trend Micro has observed a rise in fake captcha pages hosted on such platforms,” the researchers write.

Researchers at Varonis warn of a new phishing automation platform called “SpamGPT” that “combines the power of generative AI with a full suite of email campaign tools.” While previous phishing kits have automated parts of the attack chain, SpamGPT’s sophistication sets it apart from the rest “SpamGPT’s interface and features imitate a professional email marketing service, but for illegal purposes,” Varonis writes.

Hackread reports that attackers are abusing Google’s AppSheet platform to send phishing emails. The campaign was spotted by researchers at Raven, who warn that attackers are sending messages that impersonate AppSheet, informing users of phony trademark violations. Notably, the emails are sent from AppSheet’s legitimate infrastructure, making them more likely to bypass security controls and appear legitimate to human recipients.

Let’s be brutally honest. For years, our industry has been locked in a civil war. In one camp, the technologists have been building higher walls and smarter traps, arguing that the right AI-powered, next-gen firewall will solve all our problems. In the other camp, the behaviorists have been calling for more training and better awareness, convinced that if we just make people understand the risks, they’ll stop clicking on things.

AI-assisted phishing attacks pose a significant and increasing threat to organizations, according to Matt Weidman, partner and vice president of Commercial Property & Casualty at USIA. In an article for CBIA, Weidman explains that attackers can use AI tools to craft targeted, convincing phishing messages that are almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

Protecting humans means protecting the tools humans use. Human risk management (HRM) means reducing human-based risk, or in our particular area, human-based cybersecurity risk. Study after study has shown that, in one way or another, humans are involved in the vast majority of cybersecurity incidents.

AI-powered social engineering attacks are significantly more successful than traditional attacks, according to a new report from cyber risk management firm Resilience. The researchers state, “Social engineering attacks fueled 88% of material losses, with AI-powered phishing achieving a 54% success rate compared to just 12% for traditional attempts.” AI allows attackers to easily craft sophisticated phishing emails, as well as voice and video deepfakes.