AI-powered email cyberscams: what's happening and why companies are worried

In recent days, several media outlets have warned about the increase in email cyberscams that use artificial intelligence, an evolution that is making phishing attacks increasingly difficult to detect. This phenomenon not only affects individual users, but it represents a increasing risk for companies, especially those that manage sensitive data or critical processes.

The use of AI in this type of computer attack marks a turning point in the way cybercriminals design fraud campaigns and calls into question traditional prevention models.

‍

What is known about these cyberscams with artificial intelligence?

According to recently published information, a very significant part of current fraudulent emails already incorporate content generated or assisted by artificial intelligence. This allows attackers to:

• Write messages without grammatical errors or inconsistencies.
• Adapt the tone and language to the recipient's professional context.
• Personalize emails based on public or filtered information.
• Simulate internal communications, suppliers or legitimate entities with great precision.

Unlike traditional phishing, these campaigns are not based on generic messages, but on highly credible communications, which significantly increases the success rate and the likelihood of a security breach.

‍

Why companies are a priority target

Organizations have become the primary target of this type of cyberscam for several reasons:

• They manage credentials, personal and financial data.
• They use email as a critical channel of operation.
• They operate with supply chains and third parties with access to systems.
• A single error can escalate to an incident with economic, legal and reputational impact.

In addition, in corporate environments, malicious email doesn't just affect one person: it can become the entry point for lateral movements, information theft or ransomware, affecting even critical infrastructures or essential services.

‍

How do these types of AI-based attacks occur

These types of cyberattacks usually combine known techniques with new automation capabilities. The most common patterns include:

1. Targeted phishing (spear phishing)
   Emails designed specifically for a specific employee or profile, using real information.
2. Impersonation
   Imitation of managers, suppliers or internal departments through convincing messages.
3. AI-assisted social engineering
   Dynamic adjustment of the message according to the user's response, increasing pressure or urgency.
4. Using pre-filtered data
   Information from previous breaches that is reused to gain credibility.
5. Evasion of traditional filters
   Texts designed to avoid static rules and classic anti-spam systems.

This type of attack shows that the threat no longer depends only on complex malware, but on well-constructed messages and human decisions.

‍

Key lessons for companies of any size

The rise of cyberscams with artificial intelligence leaves clear lessons for organizations:

• Staff awareness is critical: Employees are still the first vector of attack.
• Email filters alone aren't enough: they need to rely on advanced detection and context.
• Identity is the new attack surface: credentials and access are the main objective.
• Early detection reduces impact: The sooner a fraud attempt is identified, the lower the damage.
• The response must be planned: Having clear procedures avoids improvisation in the midst of a crisis.

It's not about avoiding all attacks, but about reduce the likelihood of success and limit the impact when they occur.

‍

Cybersecurity as a strategic priority

The evolution of phishing towards models based on artificial intelligence confirms an unquestionable reality: Cybersecurity is no longer just a technical issue, but rather a strategic business issue.

Companies must integrate enterprise IT security into their decision-making, combining technology, processes and people. Ignoring these types of threats increases the risk of suffering fraud, security breaches and regulatory sanctions, especially in a context of increased regulatory requirements.

‍

Protect your organization with Apolo Cybersecurity

At Apolo Cybersecurity, we help companies to anticipate, detect and respond against this type of threat through services such as:

• Security audits and vulnerability analysis.
• 24/7 SOC and continuous monitoring.
• CISO as a Service and strategic support.
• Cybersecurity training and awareness.
• Incident response and business continuity plans.

If you want to evaluate your organization's level of exposure to cyberscams, computer attacks and security breaches, contact our team and find out how we can help you reinforce your security posture before an incident turns into a crisis.