Hidden Dangers of AI in Cybersecurity

Everyone’s talking about AI these days, especially in cybersecurity. Sure, artificial intelligence can boost your defenses, but cybercriminals have noticed too. Now they're crafting phishing emails so believable it’s scary and finding clever paths around spam filters while zeroing in on vulnerabilities you didn’t even realize were there. 

 

Today, Aviad Hasnis joins the show. He's the CTO of Cynet Security and spent years running cybersecurity missions for the Israeli Defense Forces. Aviad’s here to help us figure out what the changing threat landscape really means, whether you're leading a corporate giant or just trying to keep your small business safe.

From passwords getting scooped up to VPN setups from a decade ago that no one updated, Aviad’s seen just about everything go wrong. He also explains why copy-pasting AI-generated code might open you up to attacks you never saw coming. He’s big on education, common sense, and making sure you’re using multiple security layers. These days even one slip-up can give attackers exactly what they're looking for. Aviad also walks us through supply chain vulnerabilities and why they should keep you up at night.

Whether you're the CISO of a Fortune 500 company or you’re running a small team with Bob, the go-to tech person juggling 18 other tasks, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you avoid the next big cybersecurity headache. While AI might be reshaping the cybersecurity landscape, staying secure still comes down to thoughtful planning, human judgment, and making sure someone you trust has your back.

Show Notes:

• [01:08] Aviad has been Cynet's Chief Technology Officer for the past five years. Prior to that, he worked in cyber security for the Israeli Army.
• [02:18] He was always fascinated with computers and technology. When Iran had a technology problem, he realized that cybersecurity was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.
• [03:19] Aviad shares a story about his friend's mother being exposed to a scam. She received a phone call from someone pretending to be a police officer. She even installed different executables on her laptop. She didn't realize she was being victimized until she transferred over five grand.
• [06:07] Social engineering is one of the most dominant ways to gain access.
• [08:39] The security implications of using AI.
• [09:30] It's important to have guardrails with how you use AI.
• [10:28] If you're just copying and pasting code you may copy something that could be vulnerable to exploits.
• [11:16] People need to be aware of the types of risk and educate themselves.
• [12:49] Conversations at the C-suite level for implementing AI.
• [13:43] The challenge is to harness AI the right way without replacing people.
• [15:18] It's important to use critical thinking when creating with AI.
• [16:04]  AI is helping security by allowing people to consult and get information. You can also introduce vulnerabilities into your application if you just copy and paste from chat GPT without knowing the context.
• [17:05] The bad guys can also use AI.
• [17:56] AI has improved the quality of phishing scams.
• [21:36] Where organizations are missing out when it comes to sniffing out threats. This includes VPNs and SaaS or cloud. 
• [22:52] Employees could be using their home computers to connect to the company VPN and then their kids might download some malware or trojan. Companies need to use two-factor authentication when it comes to VPNs.
• [24:11] Email phishing can be another way to steal credentials.
• [27:54] The most effective approach is security layers.
• [30:40]  Another security measure is creating profiles where we know where you're logging in from.
• [33:35] Is this doom and gloom for small businesses?
• [34:48] The best solution for small businesses would be to find a company with an all-in-one solution.
• [37:11] The importance of being proactive, so you can act quickly if you see something suspicious.
• [38:24] How the move to the cloud affects security.
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