Personal attack: AI makes identity theft easy

India emerges as a key source of the cybercrime, prompting companies to strengthen their security systems and train employees, reports Avik Das

- 

India has emerged as a key source of identity theft, a cybercrime that has surged in the last three years. Criminals, now armed with artificial intelligence and generative AI, are using sophisticated tools to blur the line between what's real and what's fake, making it harder than ever to protect personal information.

Employees of Indian companies have had their official emails or logins taken over by threat actors who use the information to attack other enterprises. The crime compounds the security challenges for companies, which also have to deal with ransomware, phishing and malware.

India is among the top 10 sources for identity takeovers, according to data provided by Proofpoint. "This is due to the use of botnets and account takeovers to issue attacks globally," said Sumit Dhawan, the company's chief executive officer (CEO), adding that "it has been quite phenomenal because India has never been a source for global attacks", referring to cybercrimes.

Increasing cases of identity theft have prompted banks, information technology and financial service companies to ensure robust threat defence mechanisms. It is difficult to say whether the people carrying out identity thefts are based in India but the impact is global. The crime often involves social engineering to create a sense of trust and urgency among an organisation's employees to click on a malicious link.