As artificial intelligence becomes an integral part of our daily lives and technology continues to transform the world, it also creates new cybersecurity risks. Follow these five essential security practices to protect yourself from AI-powered hackers.
1. Use Strong, Unique Passwords and a Password Manager
AI tools can help attackers guess short or commonly used passwords more quickly. Create passwords that are at least 16 characters long, combining uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols.
Use a unique password for every website and consider using a trusted password manager to generate and store them securely.
2. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Activate multi-factor authentication (MFA) on your email, banking and social media accounts.
Whenever possible, use an authenticator app or a security key instead of relying solely on text-message verification codes. This adds another layer of protection, making a stolen password alone insufficient to access your account.
3. Enable Automatic Software and Hardware Updates
AI-powered attackers can scan the internet rapidly to identify software vulnerabilities. Keep your operating system, applications, web browsers and home router updated by enabling automatic security updates.
Installing updates promptly helps close security gaps before attackers can exploit them.
4. Independently Verify Urgent or Unexpected Communications
AI makes phishing emails, cloned voices and deepfake videos increasingly convincing.
If you receive a message claiming that your account will be suspended immediately or a call from a family member urgently requesting money, pause before taking action.
Verify the request by contacting the person or organisation directly using a known, trusted phone number or official communication channel. Never rely solely on the message or caller’s apparent identity.
5. Limit Sensitive Information Shared With AI Tools
Avoid entering confidential personal information, Social Security numbers, private company documents or other sensitive data into public AI chatbots.
Depending on the service and its settings, information you submit may be stored or processed. Review the platform’s privacy policies and data controls before sharing sensitive information.
Stay Alert. Stay Secure.
AI can make cyberattacks more sophisticated, but strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, regular updates, careful verification and responsible data sharing can significantly improve your digital security.
Protect your accounts, safeguard your personal information and think twice before clicking, sharing or responding to urgent requests.
