Lookout is expanding its Mobile AI Security Platform with Social Engineering Protection, a new module designed to protect mobile users in real time against AI-driven social engineering attacks.
Mobile security company Lookout is adding an extra module to its Mobile AI Security Platform. With Social Engineering Protection, the company aims to protect mobile users against AI-driven social engineering attacks. Today, advanced models are capable of drafting personalized and credible messages that are almost indistinguishable from legitimate communication. Additionally, voice cloning and deepfakes allow criminals to convincingly impersonate colleagues or IT support. The new solution is intended to target linkless smishing, vishing, synthetic voice cloning, and other advanced phishing techniques.
Not just phishing
Email phishing is a common method used by criminals to infiltrate IT systems. Recently, the municipality of Machelen was hit by a cyberattack where malicious actors were able to break in via phishing. Internal training and awareness regarding phishing emails ensure that employees can recognize such emails more quickly.
Less well-known are smishing via SMS messages or vishing, where criminals pose as trusted entities such as banks or tax authorities. As more business interactions take place via SMS, phone, WhatsApp, and other mobile channels, the focus of security is shifting toward smartphones and tablets. Traditional solutions such as email security and classic security awareness training fall short in this regard, as they primarily focus on a single channel and rely heavily on human recognition.
AI-driven mobile attacks
Social Engineering Protection from Lookout works as an additional module within the existing Lookout Mobile AI Security Platform. The technology continuously analyzes the intent, context, and authenticity of mobile interactions, rather than just searching for known indicators such as malicious links or attachments. Lookout emphasizes that it aims to stop attacks before employees take action.
In doing so, the company aims to close the gap left by legacy defenses. Email security protects only one communication channel, while awareness training relies on employees themselves to recognize suspicious signals. With AI-generated, highly personalized attacks, this human oversight is often no longer sufficient, especially when text and voice channels are combined.
Smishing and vishing
The new module offers an omnichannel approach for text and voice traffic. For smishing, SEP analyzes incoming SMS, MMS, and RCS messages on iOS and Android in real time. The solution looks not only at links but also at phishing attempts without a URL and suspicious language or intent within the message.