Launched in November 2022 by OpenAl, ChatGPT has grown substantially within the first few months of service. This transformer-based model has 175 billion parameters and can hold human-like conversations. It’s used globally by lecturers, academicians, writers, and content creators to write poetry, suggest books to read, and write essays and SEO-optimized content. Despite its capabilities, ChatGPT poses several cybersecurity risks.
Top ChatGPT Cybersecurity Risks and Safe Countermeasures
Cybercriminals are always alert to avenues that allow them to attack their prey or steal sensitive data. Although little data supports these claims, ChatGPT has several loopholes and risk avenues for cybercriminal activity. Malicious parties can use this generative artificial intelligence tool to create content for luring or stealing from their targets. Want to know the risks this app may pose to the digital world? The following are five cybersecurity risks associated with OpenAl's ChatGPT.
1. The Proliferation of Malicious Code
One potentially destructive power of the Al chatbot is its code-writing ability. Tech-savvy cybercriminals can use this program to write and use codes for malicious purposes. Criminals can write low-level cyber tools infected with encryption and malware scripts. They can trick their prey into clicking links leading to apps or programs containing malware scripts. Ultimately, this gives them access to the victim’s sensitive bank and personal information.
An AI chatbot's written scripts require minimal human contribution, which speeds up hacking attempts by bad actors. Since this artificial intelligence-powered tool does not have a built-in system to flag the writing of malware code, it could aid in cyber-hacking activities.
2. Expect More Phishing Emails
Phishing is one of the world’s most disastrous cybercrimes, and hackers send approximately 3.4 billion spam emails daily. Google anti-phishing bots block only 100 million phishing emails every 24 hours. This statistic is indicative of the vulnerability Gmail users get exposed to every day. Sadly, ChatGTP’s ability to write persuasive and impeccable emails allows hackers to grow their phishing attempts.
Although ChatGPT runs on intelligent technology and does not support the creation of malicious content, hackers can still manipulate it by altering the wording of prompts. Hackers can use this Al chatbot to create unique and enticing emails with accurate grammar and near-human-level emotional captivation. And the fact that the app can write many emails in mere seconds makes it easy for cybercriminals to target more victims and cause more harm without much effort.
3. Built-in Translation Is Helping Hackers Appear Authentic
One impressive feature of ChatGPT is its support for 20 different languages. The app’s unique ability to write text to reach a global audience enables users to localize their websites and target international markets. Despite its superb features, the app can still support malicious attacks on innocent victims.
Russian hackers recently attempted to bypass the precincts ChatGPT has in place regarding malicious use. Unfortunately, the attempts were successful, showing how unsafe the app is when used by someone with deep hacking knowledge. The results of their hacking attempts revealed that anyone could circumvent the app’s geo-restrictions. Therefore, hackers can perform a variety of activities to turn this app into a hub of crimes.
4. The Boom of Data Security Breaches
ChatGPT runs on a complex language model and vast sources of data from third parties. It is capable of detecting patterns and computing information to create readable data. ChatGPT does not source its information from security-proof sources, nor does it generate security-proof data. It will amaze you that this app does not ask permission to use and reuse data.
The data generated is readily available online and could trigger integrity breaches when misused. In other words, the data this artificial intelligence content-generation app uses might violate confidentiality agreements.
5. Hallucinations and Biased Outputs Are Front and Center
One of the fundamental ways people use ChatGPT is to generate content with ease and speed. Website owners and bloggers enjoy more SEO-optimized content, while students have an avenue to find answers to burning test questions. The only problem with this Al-content generation program is that the data used for ChatGPT contains some biases and inaccuracies. For example, if a hacker uses the language model to generate a false news article or social media post, they could use that information to spread misinformation or propaganda, manipulate public opinion, or even launch phishing attacks by impersonating legitimate sources.
Conclusion
The world is developing rapidly. Just yesterday it seemed we were learning about internet sharing and how it can help ordinary people pay their bills. Today, ChatGPT is grabbing so much of our attention. As you are aware of the possible security risks associated with ChatGPT, that knowledge eases the burden of developing and implementing the best mitigation strategies.
It will be interesting to see what OpenAI do mitigate these security risks, but in the meantime, the first and most robust mitigation strategy is to create stronger passwords and keep them safe. You must use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to give your accounts an extra security layer and protect your data from hackers. Use the right tools to scan your networks and identify threats effectively.
Note: This blog article was written by a guest contributor for the purpose of offering a wider variety of content for our readers. The opinions expressed in this guest author article are solely those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect those of GlobalSign.
