British spy agency warns rapid development of AI will cause massive increase in cyberattacks

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a division of Britain’s GCHQ spy agency, issued a warning on Wednesday, stating that the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools is likely to result in a surge in cyberattacks.

The agency anticipates that the lower entry barriers facilitated by these advancements will empower less sophisticated hackers to inflict digital harm, contributing to a global increase in ransomware attacks.

In a report, the NCSC highlighted the uneven impact of AI on the cyber threat landscape, emphasizing that the greatest boost in capability would benefit opportunistic hackers lacking the skills for more advanced attacks.

The use of generative AI tools, such as chatbots, was identified as a potential method for creating more convincing elements in online phishing campaigns.

At an advanced level, state-backed hackers were identified as being well-positioned to leverage AI’s potential for sophisticated cyber operations, including the generation of advanced malware.

The report noted that generative AI models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT have the ability to produce human-like interactions and are increasingly integrated into various services, raising concerns about potential security issues tied to these large language models (LLMs).

The security implications of AI are still being explored, with authorities in Britain, the U.S., and Canada acknowledging the adoption of AI by hackers.

As AI continues to advance, intelligence agencies worldwide are grappling with the challenges posed by the use of algorithms that can generate convincingly human-sounding interactions, leading to increased vigilance in monitoring and addressing potential cyber threats.

(With inputs from agencies)