November 6, 2023 at 04:43PM
Researchers at Trend Micro are warning of a new trend called “virtual kidnapping” which combines cyber compromise, social media intel, and AI voice cloning software to convince targets that their loved ones have been kidnapped. Attackers are increasingly leveraging advanced AI technology to make these attacks more convincing. Traditional security architecture is not sufficient to protect against virtual kidnappings, highlighting the need for improved security measures.
The meeting notes discuss the emerging trend of virtual kidnapping, which involves attackers using cyber compromise, social media or Dark Web data, and AI voice cloning software to convince targets that their loved ones have been kidnapped. The attackers gather information about potential victims and use AI technology to create realistic scenarios. The notes mention a real-life case where a mother received a call from someone claiming to have her daughter captive, using an AI-generated voice. The attackers demanded a ransom and used various techniques to make the situation believable. The notes also highlight the potential for virtual kidnappers to become more sophisticated, using technologies like AI and automation to plan and execute their scams. Traditional security measures have limited effectiveness against virtual kidnappings since they take advantage of the human factor. The discussion concludes that as security improves, cybercriminals may be pushed to explore alternative attack methods.