Russia , China and other US cyber adversaries are using new artificial intelligence (AI) tools to improve their hacking capabilities, according to a report by Microsoft and OpenAI.
We've heard about AI chatbots (e.g. ChatGPT) being misused by cybercriminals before, but this report is the first to link leading government hacking groups to specific uses of large language models (LLM).
Recently, there has been intense debate about the dangers of rapidly developing technology, while many countries are trying to place some restrictions on its use.
See also: London Underground: Detects dangerous situations using AI
According to the Microsoft report, AI tools are being used by at least two hacking groups linked to the Chinese government and by groups from Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
“Cybercrime groups, government hackers, and other adversaries are exploring and testing different AI technologies as they emerge, in an effort to understand their potential value to their operations and the security they may need to bypass,” Microsoft wrote.
Microsoft said it has cut off hacking groups' access to AI tools based on OpenAI 's ChatGPT . It also said it will notify manufacturers of other tools used by hackers and provide more details about the groups and the techniques they choose.
Fortunately, there have been no major attacks exploiting artificial intelligence yet, but hackers are working on it.
Sherrod DeGrippo, a Microsoft executive, acknowledged that the company can't see everything hackers do and stressed that shutting down some accounts wouldn't discourage attackers from creating new ones.
“Microsoft doesn’t want to make it easier for threat actors to perpetrate campaigns,” he said. “That’s our role, to hit them as they evolve.”
See also: AI: Making cyberattacks more effective
Among the state-sponsored hacking groups using AI tools are:
- A top Russian group, associated with the GRU military intelligence agency: This group has used artificial intelligence to research technologies that may be related to the war in Ukraine.
- North Korean hackers: They used artificial intelligence to learn more about publicly reported vulnerabilities, including a bug from 2022 in Microsoft support tools.
- A group from Iran: Hackers used AI tools to find new ways to trick people and avoid detection.
- Two Chinese groups: Hackers from one state-run hacking group attempted to create programs and content, while another Chinese group “evaluated the effectiveness of LLMs in providing information on potentially sensitive topics, high- profile, regional geopolitics, U.S. influence, and domestic affairs,” Microsoft wrote.
See also: Organizations ban use of Generative AI over privacy concerns
Unfortunately, artificial intelligence (AI) can increase the effectiveness of hacking efforts in several ways. First, it can automate processes, allowing hackers to carry out attacks on a larger scale and with greater speed.
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Second, AI can help personalize attacks. Using machine learning, AI can analyze data and tailor attacks based on the findings, making them more effective.
Third, AI can improve the detection of system weaknesses. By using deep learning algorithms, AI can discover new vulnerabilities that a hacker can exploit.
Finally, it can facilitate the development of more complex attacks. With the ability to learn and adapt, AI can help hackers create more sophisticated and difficult-to-detect attacks.
Source: www.washingtonpost.com
