Times they are a-changing: Cybersecurity in the time of artificial intelligence
Let’s take a look at some ways you can stay safe as cybersecurity strategies evolve in the era of AI.
Times they are a-changing: Cybersecurity in the time of artificial intelligence
Let’s take a look at some ways you can stay safe as cybersecurity strategies evolve in the era of AI.
The old adage is still true: Nothing stays the same, and for technology in today’s world, that doubly applies. The increase in the use of artificial intelligence has been both a blessing and a curse for the technological landscape writ large, and cybersecurity practices have never had to change more quickly. Overall, the cost of a data breach went down in 2025, but the prevalence of AI-based attacks has led to data compromise and operational disruption across the board.
So what are we to do, not only as Miami employees, but also as individuals? To this end, we have compiled some key advice from our Information Security Office (ISO).
Let’s take a look at some ways you can stay safe as cybersecurity strategies evolve in the era of AI:
Importance of cyber hygiene
“AI has drastically changed the pace at which vulnerabilities are discovered and exploits built and deployed,” said Tony Kinne, senior information security analyst. “Basic cyber hygiene is more important than ever.”
Cyber hygiene consists of activities like automatic updates, closing unnecessary ports, multi-factor authentication, network segmentation, and more. Think of it as self-care for your online life. Create strong passwords and save them to a password manager; make sure you’re signed up for MFA with each of your online accounts, especially banking; and turn on automatic software updates in apps, operating systems, and browsers.
Each of these actions is a small step you can take that add up to creating a stronger barrier against vulnerabilities. And we need all the help we can get, as the speed of AI-fueled exploits increases.
Old advice is no longer the gospel
In bygone days, we used to tell people that bad grammar and spelling may be indicators of a scam message or phishing attempt. Unfortunately, now that scammers are using AI to write messages and, at times, even conduct their nefarious activities, this advice is outdated. Uzoma Ifeakanwa, information security analyst, noted that AI tools are now fluent with perfect syntax, so it can be difficult to distinguish a phishing attempt based solely on that feature now.
Try to pinpoint phishing based on other clues, including:
- Making sure the “from” address is a known sender
- Hovering over any links to ensure they go to real websites
- Treating requests for money, personal information, or favors with great suspicion
It would be easier if the bad actors stuck to the old ways. They are unfortunately changing with the times, and we have to change with them in order to remain a step ahead.
Don’t share secrets with AI
Something else to keep in mind when it comes to AI is the kind of information you feed it.
“If you wouldn't post it publicly or email it to a stranger, don't paste it into an AI prompt,” said John Virden, chief information security officer for Miami.
At the end of the day, these public AI models are all owned by large companies whose incentives and ethics are largely unknown. Chat histories may be saved and used to train future models, and there’s no guarantee that the data is being stored on a secure server, leaving it open to potential exploitation.
Keep an eye on your data
Data hygiene practices are important for administrators to maintain the integrity of the information they collect and store. But data cleanliness is not just for businesses; keeping track of your private data is also critical.
“Data hygiene is going to remain one of the foremost things to keep in mind in the era of AI,” said former information security analyst Jake Harrison. “Understanding what kinds of data you have and where it’s being used will be the first steps in keeping that data secure.”
This dovetails with the advice not to share secrets with AI tools – if you know where your data is, what information you’ve entered into which websites, you can make sure it’s not being put into a model somewhere.
A couple quick things you can do right now to improve your data hygiene:
- Do an audit of the apps on your phone. If you haven’t used it in a while, get rid of it.
- Make sure you have multi-factor authentication on your bank accounts.
- Go through your location data settings on your phone. Turn sharing off for the apps that don’t absolutely need it.
Watch out for AI impersonators
One of the oldest scams in the book involves scammers calling a person to ask for money or information, often while impersonating a loved one or authority figure. Well, scammers can’t be bothered to make their own phone calls anymore – now they’re using AI to do it.
To combat the chances of your family being taken advantage of by these kinds of attacks, information security analyst Patrick Hawk said. establish a safe word that you only use in order to verify the identity of the person you’re speaking to, especially in fraught situations. For example, if your family loves cartoons from the 80s, your safe word could be “Duck Tales.” Just something fun that your family members will be able to remember if such a situation should happen.
Stay vigilant!
These are only a few of the ways to improve your cybersecurity posture when it comes to AI. However, at least one of our stalwart pieces of advice still applies:
Stop!
Take the time to analyze suspicious-seeming messages and emails.
Validate!
Go to an outside source to verify the information in the message.
Delete!
When in doubt, delete the message. You can also send it to InfoSec@MiamiOH.edu, and we will tell you whether or not it’s a phishing attempt!