According to an independent study conducted by cloud security experts Menlo Security’s Censuswide, one in three UK consumers say more than half of all ads on websites or social media sites are AI-generated. It became clear that they believed that
Menlo Security uses AI tools such as ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Dal. The research also highlights that many people are unaware of the risks of clicking on fake and potentially malicious ads.
Despite the rise of spoofed brands such as Microsoft and Google, the majority of respondents (70%) are unaware that clicking on brand logos can infect them with malware. About half (48%) were unaware that they could be infected via social media ads, and 40% were unaware that they could be infected by clicking on pop-ups or banners. By comparison, nearly three-quarters (73%) understand that they can be infected with malware hidden in email links.
In the survey, 70% of consumers said they “somewhat” click on ads on the Internet. This is despite AI-generated ads making it more difficult to identify malicious ads. Visiting sites that contain infected ads can unknowingly download malware onto your device. On average, one in 100 online ads is malicious, but that percentage could increase as more AI tools and software become available and easier to use, Menlo Security said. I am warning you.
Nearly a third (31%) of all respondents are unsure of their ability to recognize and avoid malvertising threats. This rises to 40% for women and 41% for those over 55.
Consumer trust depends on the nature of the site. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Instagram are considered more trustworthy, with 1 in 5 trusting these sites to be free of malvertising, while Twitter is less trusted ( Only 14% trust that malvertising does not exist). This trust increases slightly for sites such as Amazon (28%) and Google (25%).
Menlo Security AI Security Spokesperson Tom McVey said: “The prevalence of AI-generated content online will only increase highly evasive threats such as malvertising. It can also generate images that look like popular brands or logos.Our research shows that it only takes 3-7 clicks online to infect the malware. By clicking on a link, cybercriminals can inject malware onto the victim’s device, most commonly for financial gain.Malware-as-a-service and AI-generated With easy access to text and images, even attackers with little or no skill can craft compelling ads, and we expect to see a significant increase in malvertising as a result.
“The study found that only 32% of people cannot trust a website that does not contain malvertising. For example, if you have impersonated a malicious attacker in the past 90 days to steal your personal or sensitive data. We found that the top three brands were Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon. Some may be shocked to learn that even the most reputable websites are not immune to malvertising. “
McVey shared these key tips for avoiding falling victim to malvertising:
· Check the URL (website address) carefully before clicking. Hover your mouse over the ad until you see the URL and properly check if it’s what you expected. Attackers sometimes use plausible domain names by substituting certain characters to trick the eye. For example, a lowercase ‘l’ may look like the ‘i’ in ‘Microsoft’. However, while he can use a clever trick to make the website address look like it, he can’t use the actual domain name of the site the user is supposed to be clicking on. Therefore, it is one of the best ways to check him carefully. to tell.
· Look at the brand logos used to see if they are authentic. Copying a logo often results in it being stretched, squashed, or pixelated. Also, if the background color looks odd (for example, a Microsoft logo on a black background), this could indicate that the logo is not canonical. Companies often have strict brand guidelines that malvertising attackers don’t always follow.
· Think about what the ad wants from you. Legitimate brands often run ads to measure impressions, or the number of people who see an ad. Impressions are not considered for malvertising campaigns. Instead, they typically see a call to action asking them to “click here” or “buy now”. These types of ads should be treated with caution.
· Regardless of the website’s credibility, take a cautious approach to advertising. Reputable news sites such as the BBC may have a higher scrutiny process for the ads they run than lesser-known sites, but they are not immune to malvertising. The same rule applies to being cautious when clicking on ads.
· Beware of redirects. If you click on an ad and go to the expected site, remember that the more ads you click, the more likely you are to encounter malware. Each time your ad is clicked, you may be directed to a website that is not subject to more stringent review procedures than the last time. Reliable websites don’t need banner ads to get visitors.
Would you like to hear major global brands discussing such subjects directly? Learn more about Europe, London, North America and Singapore at the Digital Marketing World Forum (#DMWF).
