Artificial Intelligence (AI) has long been recognized for its role in detecting phishing attempts, but its power extends beyond that. With the rise of sophisticated cyber threats, AI has evolved to identify complex and subtle threats, predict attack patterns, and automate responses to emerging threats, greatly improving email security.
AI is one of the most effective tools when it comes to tackling the complex challenges posed by Business Email Compromise (BEC) and Email Account Compromise (EAC). These threats do not rely on traditional methods such as malware or malicious URLs, which can be detected by standard Internet security measures. Instead, they exploit human trust, making it difficult to detect and prevent.
AI-driven solutions use advanced machine learning (ML) models, including transformer-based models, analyzing email content and communication patterns at a granular level. These models can process complex sequences of text, enabling them to identify anomalies in email interactions that may indicate an attack. For example, AI can detect subtle inconsistencies in email behavior, such as a change in tone or language used by a known correspondent, which may suggest an account has been compromised.
AI helps automate the detection of impersonation tactics such as domain spoofing and spoofing, common tactics in BEC attacks. By analyzing multiple data sets and learning from past attacks, AI systems can also predict and block new threats.
Key Benefits of AI for Emerging Email Threats
The ability to predict and respond to threats is one of the main advantages of AI in email security. Traditional security measures often rely on known signatures or behaviors, meaning they can only respond to attacks that have already been identified. Conversely, AI models continuously learn from new data, allowing them to spot new attack patterns before they spread.
Security leaders should look for an email security platform that allows flexible classification of emails based on multiple risk factors, including sender reputation, email content, and historical communication patterns. This allows security teams to prioritize responses based on risk level and reduces the burden on security operations centers (SOCs).
AI can automate much of the response process, such as pulling phishing emails from inboxes, suspending compromised accounts, and enforcing multi-factor authentication on suspicious logins. This automation not only speeds up response time but also ensures that threats are not dealt with before they cause significant damage.
Integrating AI-Driven Email Security Solutions into Existing Security Infrastructure
Integrating AI-driven email security solutions into existing security infrastructure can be planned through cloud-based platforms. These platforms are designed to be compatible with various security tools and can provide a centralized view of the threat environment.
Businesses can start by deploying AI-driven email gateways that work alongside traditional security methods to provide an extra layer of protection. These gateways can analyze both incoming and outgoing emails, ensuring that even internal threats, such as compromised accounts used to launch attacks, are detected and mitigated.
Combining AI with security information and event management (SIEM) systems allows effective correlation of security events across different vectors, such as email, cloud services, and network activity. This holistic approach enables organizations to identify and respond to threats in an efficient and comprehensive manner.
AI Is Essential to the Next Generation of Email Security
AI is changing the landscape of email security, moving beyond phishing detection to provide comprehensive and robust defense against emerging threats. By predicting attack patterns, automating responses, and seamlessly integrating with existing security infrastructure, AI provides businesses with a robust set of tools to protect against the ever-emerging threat of email-based attacks.
Learn how Proofpoint helps you increase your email security with AI at
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