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INFOSEC

Cross-Platform Security

Targeted Protection

Across Every Channel

The Expanding Attack Surface Beyond Email

Modern businesses communicate across multiple platforms, each creating potential entry points for sophisticated attacks. While email security blocks traditional phishing, attackers target unprotected channels like social media, sms and recognized cloud utilities like Docusign.

Emerging AI Threats

What’s the difference between AI security for SMBs and traditional cybersecurity?

AI security for SMBs differs from traditional cybersecurity in four critical ways:

  1. Threat velocity—AI attacks scale infinitely with one criminal targeting 10,000 SMBs simultaneously versus traditional manual attacks
  2. Attack sophistication—SMBs must defend against 98% accurate voice cloning, real-time adaptive phishing, and polymorphic malware that rewrites itself versus static threats
  3. Supply chain risks—Small to medium-sized businesses require dependency scanning for hallucinated packages and software bill of materials (SBOM) maintenance that traditional cybersecurity didn't emphasize
  4. Governance requirements—SMBs needs policies for employee AI tool usage, shadow AI detection, and vendor AI practices, while traditional cybersecurity focused only on perimeter defense and antivirus.

Most critically, AI security for SMBs recognizes that 83% of SMBs face increased threats but traditional tools like basic antivirus (used by 68% of SMBs) are inadequate against AI-powered attacks.

How can SMBs detect if AI security for SMBs has already been compromised?

Detecting compromised AI security for SMBs requires monitoring for specific warning signs: unexplained network traffic increases (especially to unusual geographic locations indicating data exfiltration), system performance degradation without obvious cause, unusual login attempts or authentication failures, vendor security notifications about your IP address appearing in threat intelligence, alerts from managed security providers about anomalous behavior, and employees reporting unusual system behavior.

The challenge for AI security for SMBs is that AI-powered attacks often operate stealthily—average breach discovery time is 207 days for SMBs without managed security versus 3-6 hours with 24/7 monitoring. If you suspect compromised AI security for SMBs, immediately contact a cybersecurity incident response team rather than investigating internally, as self-investigation may alert attackers or destroy forensic evidence needed for recovery and insurance claims.

What AI usage policies should SMBs implement for AI security for SMBs?

Effective AI usage policies are foundational to AI security for SMBs. Your policy should specify:

  1. Approved AI tools—ChatGPT Plus, Microsoft Copilot, Claude Pro (paid versions with commercial data protection), and industry-specific tools with formal approval processes
  2. Allowed uses—marketing content, internal documentation, non-confidential data analysis, research, brainstorming
  3. Prohibited uses—client confidential information, protected health information, financial records, production code without peer review, legal documents without attorney review
  4. Approval authority—business owner for 10-50 employee SMBs, IT Director for 50-200 employee SMBs, Security Committee for 200-500 employee SMBs
  5. Validation requirements—all AI-generated code requires peer review before production deployment.

AI security for SMBs requires these policies that cost $0 to implement but prevent shadow AI usage that caused one 75-employee SMB to lose $6.7M.

 

What are slopsquatting attacks and how do they target AI security for SMBs?

Slopsquatting attacks exploit AI hallucinations to compromise AI security for SMBs by weaponizing fake software packages. When developers at SMBs use AI coding assistants like ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, or Claude, these tools sometimes recommend packages that don't exist—19.7% of AI recommendations according to university research.

Cybercriminals monitor which fake packages AI models consistently hallucinate, then register those package names (like "hipaa-auth-validator" or "mysql-async-connection-pool-pro") and upload malware-laden code. Developers trust the AI recommendation and install the package, compromising AI security for SMBs. This threat specifically targets SMBs because Fortune 500 companies have security teams reviewing dependencies, while SMBs typically don't. Slopsquatting attacks often remain undetected for months at SMBs without 24/7 monitoring.

How much does AI security for SMBs cost compared to breach recovery?

AI security for SMBs costs significantly less than breach recovery. Industry averages for managed security services range from $36,000-$48,000 annually for SMBs with 10-50 employees, $60,000-$96,000 for SMBs with 50-200 employees, and $96,000-$180,000 for SMBs with 200-500 employees. Compare this to the average AI-powered breach cost of $254,445 for SMBs, with 60% of breached SMBs closing within 6 months.

Real examples show AI security for SMBs preventing catastrophic losses: a 50-employee healthcare SMB lost $3.2M from a slopsquatting attack, a 200-employee manufacturer lost $4.5M from AI-hallucinated malware, and a 75-employee professional services firm lost $6.7M from shadow AI usage. One prevented breach pays for 2-7 years of AI security for SMBs.

Cross platform security threats showing AI-powered ransomware attacks using ChatGPT Deepseek Gemini and Claude for advanced social engineering across multiple communication channels
Cross platform security showing Bitcoin cryptocurrency ransomware attacks targeting small businesses through AI-powered social engineering across multiple communication channels

Phishing Attacks

What cybersecurity threats exist beyond email phishing?

Today's threat landscape extends far beyond traditional email phishing. Attackers are increasingly targeting messaging apps (Slack, Teams, WhatsApp), social media platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook), SMS/text messaging, collaboration tools, and even calendar invites. These channels often lack the robust security controls found in email systems, creating dangerous blind spots. Our military-grade security platform delivers comprehensive protection across all communication channels, not just email.

How are attackers exploiting LinkedIn for social engineering?

LinkedIn has become a prime target for sophisticated social engineering attacks with a 245% surge in 2024. Attackers create convincing professional profiles, build relationships over time, and exploit professional trust. Common tactics include sending malicious files through LinkedIn messaging, creating fake job opportunities, and impersonating trusted colleagues to request sensitive information. These attacks bypass traditional email security entirely. Our Cybersecurity team can help identify and block these sophisticated social platform threats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0QVChPtYIk

How To Survive LinkedIn Attacks

The stakes couldn't be higher as attack patterns evolve dramatically. In one recent incident documented by SlashNext, attackers launched 1,165 emails at just 22 target mailboxes within 90 minutes—over 50 messages per user—attempting to overwhelm inboxes and trigger panic-clicking. These rapid-fire tactics create the perfect environment for follow-up attacks through alternative messaging channels, bypassing traditional email security entirely. Our military-grade protection framework identifies these cross-platform attack patterns before they can compromise your organization.

Modern security requires integrated protection across all communication channels. Our military-grade email protection extends beyond the inbox to secure the entire messaging landscape. By deploying The ONE Platform, organizations gain visibility into blind spots that traditional solutions miss. Ready to eliminate these vulnerabilities in your security architecture? Schedule your assessment today and discover how our integrated approach prevents sophisticated attacks before they start.

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What makes SMS and messaging app phishing (smishing) so dangerous?

SMS and messaging app phishing, or "smishing," is particularly dangerous for several reasons:

  • Limited security controls compared to email
  • High trust factor (messages typically come from known contacts)
  • Urgency in responses (90% of text messages are read within 3 minutes)
  • Simplified messages that hide suspicious elements
  • Difficult to verify sender authenticity
  • Lack of corporate visibility into personal devices

In 2024, smishing attacks increased by 312%, with targeted messages often impersonating executives or IT support. Our platform's advanced threat detection identifies and blocks suspicious messages across all channels.

What are the warning signs of a non-email phishing attempt?

While sophisticated attacks are becoming harder to detect, key warning signs of non-email phishing attempts include:

  • Unexpected message requests through platforms like LinkedIn, Teams, or SMS
  • Urgent requests that require immediate action
  • Messages containing unexpected attachments or links
  • Slight variations in usernames or account details
  • Requests for sensitive information or authentication credentials
  • Communication that creates a sense of opportunity or fear
  • Messages that bypass normal business processes

Our platform's behavioral detection capabilities can identify these suspicious patterns even in sophisticated attacks.

How should security awareness training evolve to address non-email threats?

Traditional security awareness training focuses heavily on email threats, creating dangerous blind spots. Modern training must evolve to include:

  • Platform-specific phishing scenarios (LinkedIn, Teams, Slack, WhatsApp)
  • Recognition of cross-channel attack patterns
  • Authentication and verification procedures for all communication methods
  • Personal device security for BYOD environments
  • Social media privacy and security best practices
  • Recognition of deepfake and AI-generated content
  • Response procedures for suspected messaging-based attacks

Our comprehensive training programs address the full spectrum of modern communication threats beyond traditional email security.

How attackers exploit LinkedIn, SMS and Social Platforms

The stakes couldn’t be higher as attack patterns evolve dramatically. In one recent incident documented by SlashNext, attackers launched 1,165 emails at just 22 target mailboxes within 90 minutes—over 50 messages per user—attempting to overwhelm inboxes and trigger panic-clicking. These rapid-fire tactics create the perfect environment for follow-up attacks through alternative messaging channels, bypassing traditional email security entirely. In this expert cybersecurity panel, Ridge IT and SlashNext reveal how attackers are exploiting LinkedIn, SMS, and social platforms while bypassing traditional email security.

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Rapid response times, with around the clock IT support, from Inc. Magazine’s #1 MSSP.