AI-based Humor-Integrated Social Engineering Training

AI-based Humor-Integrated Social Engineering Training

Advances in AI introduced new opportunities and challenges in cybersecurity in general. Social engineering, while contributing to the majority of cyberattacks, poses a uniquely difficult problem in cybersecurity because of a combination of factors. First, social engineering is low cost and presents multiple increasingly complex and subtle attack vectors. Second, the majority of computer users are not cybersecurity literate, with under 30% judged competent on basic knowledge. Third, it takes advantage of humans being the weakest link in cybersecurity by taking advantage of human vulnerabilities like habit formation and susceptibility to persuasive techniques.

This all results in a significant gap in security caused by people’s unpreparedness to counteract social engineering. While many companies provide training for their employees, the majority of the population using information technology daily remains uneducated about social engineering threats. There is thus a need for a novel approach to education against social engineering attacks for casual users without high computing competencies that would take advantage of human psychology, just like the attacks themselves do. To address the dual problems of lack of cybersecurity literacy and increasing social engineering attacks, we propose integrating AI techniques to create a customized social engineering education experience that utilizes the principles of entertainment education. This effort will target non-security professionals. This project will: 1) use pretext design maps to train AI systems to generate social engineering scenarios; 2) use AI advances and humor theory knowledge to generate explainable humorous training schemas based on these social engineering scenarios; 3) apply the scenarios in a classroom setting and use learning patterns and specific psychological markers to refine AI-generated scenarios. The combination of these will result in an effective cybersecurity pedagogical tool for casual computer users powered by AI.

EAGER SATC-EDU: AI Based Humor Integrated Social Engineering Training. Sponsoring Organization: National Science Foundation: Role: Co-PI. Total Award: 299,600. Dates: 09/01/2020-08/31/2022.