As cybercriminals increasingly use AI tools to craft more well-written, deceptive, and convincing phishing emails, cybersecurity company NordVPN has opted to “fight fire with fire” by launching its own AI-powered tool called Sonar.
NordVPN said Sonar will aim to counter the increased threat of phishing and other cyberattacks propagated by AI by detecting these kinds of malicious emails.
“With this new release we aim to fight fire with fire. Sonar is based on the large language model technology used by ChatGPT so it will help internet users better identify phishing emails in the changing environment of cybercrimes,” Maknickas added.
The company also said it plans to release another AI-powered tool called Pixray this September. The tool will let a user know if an image is AI-generated or created via traditional means. This could have a variety of use cases, especially with identifying deepfake images and other malicious or dishonest content.
“AI tools have facilitated the automation of a significant portion of phishing attacks, and it is anticipated that the frequency of such attacks will escalate in the future, posing a significant cybersecurity threat,” said Vykintas Maknickas, Nord Security’s head of product strategy.
NordVPN’s Sonar: How Does it Work?
NordVPN, known for its popular VPN of the same name, recently launched a new platform called NordLabs to develop cutting-edge security tools and services. Sonar is NordLabs’ first public foray in this space.
Sonar is an AI-powered browser extension that will scan emails and warn the user about potential phishing threats. The tool is currently available on Google Chrome, with more browsers expected to follow soon.
“Developed by NordVPN’s team of engineers and developers, Sonar will warn users on how likely the email they received is a phishing scam. It will also point out which aspects of the email affected evaluation results and explain what signs to look out for,” the NordVPN press release reads.
One of the key steps in cybersecurity for both personal and business use is getting a VPN, and NordVPN is our most highly-reviewed provider.
How to Get NordVPN Sonar
Anyone who has already signed up for NordLabs will be able to install and try out the Sonar browser extension. Unregistered users can put their names down on the NordLabs waiting list to get access to Sonar shortly.
NordVPN strongly encourages users to try out Sonar free of charge to help them improve these pioneering security tools.
“We invite everyone to test Sonar and future experimental projects completely free of charge and provide us with feedback. It will help us, the technology community, and every internet user to understand the best ways to curb cutting-edge technologies for a better and safer internet,” Maknickas stated.
NordVPN is also one of the best virtual private networks on the market for staying anonymous online and unblocking geo-fenced content. If you’re interested in learning more, check out our complete NordVPN review.
