Aviation solved the vigilance problem. AI just gave security a worse one
Summary
AI has made security harder by enabling more convincing phishing attacks while simultaneously overwhelming workers with too many tasks, similar to the attention problem aviation solved decades ago. Aviation addressed this by building automated systems that override human judgment based on objective data (like collision-avoidance systems that detect converging aircraft), but security has relied on humans to spot suspicious emails, a strategy that fails against AI-generated attacks. The source suggests security should follow aviation's model by using automated controls triggered by risky actions themselves, like mandatory callbacks for bank detail changes or automatic payment thresholds, rather than depending on busy workers to catch sophisticated fraudulent messages.
Solution / Mitigation
Guard consequential actions (wire transfers, bank detail changes, credential resets) with automated controls that fire on the event itself, not on human judgment: implement a mandatory callback to a known number for any change of bank details, use dual control requirements on wire transfers, and establish hard thresholds above which payments stop automatically. These controls should work like collision-avoidance systems, firing 'on the act, every time, and ask no one to be clever.'
Classification
Original source: https://www.csoonline.com/article/4225613/aviation-solved-the-vigilance-problem-ai-just-gave-security-a-worse-one.html
First tracked: September 24, 2026 at 08:00 AM
Classified by LLM (prompt v3) · confidence: 75%