Egress experts predict a surge in automated and personalized cyberattacks in 2024, fueled by cyber adversaries using Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) to craft targeted phishing attacks. Jack Chapman, VP of Threat Intelligence at Egress, warns that this approach allows for more sophisticated attacks without increased effort, raising the success bar for cyber threats.

The threat landscape extends to technology and AI systems safeguarding organizations, with attackers exploiting learning mechanisms to make their attacks appear “safe.” Compromised business accounts pose a growing threat to supply chains, according to Chapman.

James Dyer, Egress’s Threat Intelligence Lead, highlights the emergence of multi-channel attacks employing marketing tactics for legitimacy. Cyber attackers are expected to target communication platforms with fewer security systems, such as WhatsApp and Signal, in 2024.

Steve Malone, VP of Product Management, anticipates a surge in QR code phishing trends, as threat actors use QR codes to bypass traditional defenses. The increasing use of AI tools and chatbots in phishing attacks may lead to the adoption of AI assistants in tech products, but Malone warns of potential misuse.

AI becomes a double-edged sword as cybercriminals leverage AI technology to target AI systems creatively. Dyer predicts an increase in evasive techniques like invisible characters and lookalike images to bypass NLP and linguistic checks, potentially leading to more attacks through encrypted emails.

Malone emphasizes the security and tone of communication in advanced collaboration tools, foreseeing a migration of socially-engineered attacks from email to platforms like Teams or Slack.

Sudeep Venkatesh, Chief Customer Officer at Egress, advocates for increased interoperability among cybersecurity vendors, aiming to enhance investment value and build stronger customer loyalty. He stresses the importance of demonstrating value in every customer interaction to stay ahead of evolving cyber threats.