UK’s Government Communications Headquarters anticipates more attacks fueled by AI-trained ransomware. (Source: Pixabay)

Ransomware to See Major AI-Driven Advancements in Next Two Years

The UK’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) warns of an imminent rise in cyber threats fueled by the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the arsenals of nation-states, financially motivated criminals, and less-experienced actors. According to the assessment, ransomware is projected to be the predominant threat benefiting from AI advancements over the next two years. The deployment of AI is seen as evolutionary, enhancing existing threats, with ransomware poised to experience a surge in new entrants as AI lowers barriers to entry. This trend is expected to empower experienced threat actors, including nation-states and financially motivated crime groups, allowing them to identify vulnerabilities and bypass security defenses more efficiently.

AI’s impact on cyber threats is anticipated to be uneven, with the use of AI in cyber attacks evolving and enhancing existing tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). The assessment suggests that AI will significantly increase the volume and impact of cyber attacks, particularly in the realm of ransomware, where its accessibility will likely contribute to a global increase in ransomware threats over the next two years. AI’s role is identified as providing a capability uplift in reconnaissance and social engineering, making these techniques more effective, efficient, and harder to detect. Additionally, AI is expected to make cyber attacks against the UK more impactful, as threat actors can analyze exfiltrated data faster and more effectively, using it to train AI models.

The report outlines specific predictions, including the improvement of AI capabilities in reconnaissance and social engineering, rendering them more effective and challenging to detect. It anticipates more impactful attacks against the UK as threat actors leverage AI to analyze exfiltrated data efficiently and use it to train AI models for future operations. The commoditization of AI-enabled capabilities for both criminal and commercial markets is foreseen as an almost certain development beyond the two-year horizon. This trend is expected to make improved AI capabilities accessible to cybercriminals and state actors, further shaping the cyber threat landscape.

While some experts express agreement with the assessment, there are counterarguments suggesting that certain aspects might overstate the benefits AI brings to malicious cyber activities. For instance, the notion that AI removes barriers to entry for novice threat actors is challenged, with an emphasis on AI’s capacity for quantity over quality. The assessment acknowledges AI’s potential to enhance phishing and social engineering lures, leveraging large datasets from previous breaches to tailor attacks to specific targets, ultimately making pretexts more convincing.

read more at arstechnica.com