With Nigeria listed as the 13th most vulnerable nation susceptible to cyberattacks globally, companies across the country have been warned to consistently ward off theft attempt by cybercriminals who continue to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) for their increasingly sophisticated attacks.
Having his say via an opinion piece addressed to Nigerian businesses, Managing Director for Southern and Central Africa at HP, Yesh Surjoodeen, revealed that business organisations must learn to adopt smarter device security measures while fostering quality cybersecurity awareness that will enable them to steer clear of all kinds of cyber threats.
Referencing new research conducted by Deloitte, Yesh said that the battle is definitely on right now because while Nigerian business owners have started using AI to keep their cyber activities safe and secure, hackers are using the same AI to attack perceived prey.
According to him, hackers are even going as far as writing attack scripts, sniffing out system vulnerabilities, and creating dangerous malware with AI tools to outsmart the defence mechanisms companies are using to fight back. Yesh said that a new Deloitte study proved how dangerous their hacking minds are when it confirmed that over 50 per cent of their AI-generated phishing emails successfully deceive their targets.
“The race is on between Nigerian hackers using AI to attack and Nigerian businesses using AI to defend. A recent study showed that more than 50 per cent of AI-generated phishing emails successfully deceive their targets,” he said.
Surjoodeen revealed that while poor BIOS security is never seen as a major flaw that should be addressed by companies, it is actually a key vulnerability hackers derive pleasure in exploiting. He then advocated for safe decommissioning of devices that will not only save money, but also aid secure repurposing for future use.
“Fifty-three percent of IT and security decision makers admit to using weak or shared BIOS passwords, with many failing to update them throughout a device’s lifespan. And destroying devices that could be securely repurposed not only drives up e-waste but undermines sustainability efforts. Secure decommissioning solutions can save costs and support ESG goals,” Yesh said.
Concluding, Surjoodeen talked up the usage of AI as an effective cyber threat tool, regardless of hackers weaponising it as well. According to him, while these hackers will never stop using Artificial Intelligence technology for their evil intentions, it is important for Nigerian business owners to hit back with equal sophistication by investing in the right security tools and fostering consistent security habits.
“Cybercriminals will continue to harness AI for malicious purposes. That’s why business leaders must respond with equal sophistication—by investing in cutting-edge technologies and building strong security cultures,” he added.
