There is no denying that AI (artificial intelligence) has taken on the world by storm.
While there are many positive attributes of AI, there continues to be negative conditions
where AI is being used by threat actors. These cyber criminals are seeing AI as their
latest tool in their tool box to misrepresent and steal from private individuals as well as
businesses. South African companies continue to be the main target for AI-powered
cybercrime and there is a new focus to attempt to protect from these attacks.

AI can generate voice-cloned deepfakes that impersonate individuals and even false
WhatsApp messages that are sophisticated enough to fool anyone. South Africa has been
experience fast advancement in AI and with increased use of cloud computing, digital
services and technologies that are AI-driven SA is also seeing an increase in very
sophisticated cyber threats.

Due to the adoption of new technologies, countries in Africa
are considered to be the most targeted with reports showing increases in DDoS
(distributed denial of service), phishing, and ransomware. When AI is added into the mix
it creates a landscape that cyber criminals can continue to use to steal proprietary data
and cost the public and companies millions.

Why South Africa?

There are many factors that go into the reasons that cyber criminals choose South Africa
for their attacks:

• Lack of enforcement of existing laws for cybersecurity.
• Confusion in the legal system for which parties should be accountable for the
• crimes.
• Lack of knowledge of company staff to counter the threats.
• Inefficient security protocols for business communication and financial actions.
• Vulnerabilities with infrastructure that is outdated.
• Digital illiteracy, specifically in areas that are rural.

Each of these contribute to an environment that is ripe for threat actors to use AI-driven
technologies to confuse, misrepresent and eventually steal information, finances and data.

The requirement exists to educate the general public and companies on the latest AI
methods being used by cyber criminals. Professional cyber security companies such as
DaVinci Cybersecurity are being brought in to educate and assist in recommendations for
more advanced security protocols.

AI-powered cybercrime has created an environment for the need for AI-enhanced threat
detection, Zero Trust Architecture, and cloud security. The requirements of the past must
be stepped up to also include software and hardware solutions such as encryption tools,
intrusion detection systems and firewalls.

There needs to be an escalated awareness in both the private and public environments to recognise and thwart AI threats. Addressing vulnerabilities will also require establishing partnerships to develop AI solutions.AI presents an entirely new aspect of digital technology and is one that makes it difficult for those that are unaware to differentiate. Having the right skills, education, and digital protections in place is critical to protecting everyone’s personal and proprietary
information.

“DaVinci Cybersecurity works closely with communities and businesses in a continuing
effort to educate, analyse and recommend solutions that address the current AI-driven
cyber threats. We maintain up-to-date information on the latest attempts that cyber
criminals take.”

Sharon Knowles, CEO DaVinci Cybersecurity