AI is reshaping how engineering firms in Salt Lake City operate, from streamlining BIM processes to accelerating project documentation. But while AI brings efficiency, it also gives cybercriminals a new toolbox. Hackers have access to the same AI tech your team is exploring—and they’re using it to exploit vulnerabilities in firms just like yours.
This isn’t just about protecting email accounts anymore. It’s about safeguarding 3D site plans, infrastructure specs, CAD environments, and your firm's hard-earned credibility. Here are the real AI-driven threats every Salt Lake City engineering firm needs to watch out for.
Doppelgängers In Your Project Calls – Watch Out For Deepfakes
AI-generated deepfakes have moved from novelty to weapon. Engineering teams using Teams or Zoom for remote collaboration are now being targeted.
In one real-world case, a cryptocurrency foundation employee joined a meeting filled with deepfakes impersonating company executives. The AI-fabricated avatars instructed them to install a meeting extension—which secretly gave attackers access to microphones and systems. The breach was traced back to a North Korean group.
For engineering firms juggling remote field teams and external consultants, deepfakes raise new concerns about identity verification during video calls. Watch for unusual lighting, unnatural pauses, or slight facial sync issues.
And remember: when your Salt Lake City managed IT services provider trains your staff to spot these signs, your firm stays ahead of the curve.
Creepy Crawlies In Your Inbox – Smarter AI-Powered Phishing Emails
AI is now writing phishing emails that are clean, convincing, and error-free. Gone are the obvious spelling mistakes and weird formatting. Instead, attackers are using AI to mimic real vendor invoices, engineering RFP requests, and subcontractor inquiries.
Salt Lake City engineering firms are especially at risk because of the volume of external communication required to manage projects, vendors, and municipalities.
Here’s how your IT company should help you mitigate:
- Enforce MFA for all cloud-based design tools and file sharing platforms.
- Provide regular phishing simulation training, especially with industry-specific examples.
- Implement email filtering with AI-based threat detection.
When you partner with a proactive IT provider that understands the engineering space, you stop threats before they compromise sensitive infrastructure plans.
Skeleton Tools – Malicious AI Disguised as Productivity Software
Here’s a new trick: cybercriminals are creating fake AI tools designed to look like helpful engineering or CAD add-ons.
A recent malware campaign disguised cracked versions of ChatGPT using PowerShell commands that opened backdoors into firm networks. Another example: fake AI plug-ins promoted on TikTok and engineering forums, positioned as tools to speed up drawing automation—but packed with spyware.
Engineering firms in Salt Lake City must be vigilant, especially as new software is adopted in response to tight bid deadlines and aggressive delivery schedules.
Your best defense? Let your Salt Lake City IT support provider vet and whitelist new tools. If they understand CAD workflows and version control systems, they’ll know what belongs—and what doesn’t.
Ready To Chase The AI Ghosts Out Of Your Engineering Firm?
AI doesn’t have to be scary. But it does require vigilance. Whether it’s deepfakes on your kickoff calls, AI-written phishing emails targeting project managers, or malware disguised as plug-ins for Civil 3D or Revit, your firm deserves protection that understands the tools you actually use.
At Qual IT, we specialize in managed IT services for engineering firms in Salt Lake City. We speak your language. And we know how to keep your systems and staff protected from the darker side of innovation.
Click here to book your free network assessment.
Let’s talk about how to stay ahead of the threats—without slowing down your projects.
