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Amid concerns about potential cybersecurity threats as AI technology improves, a report released by Microsoft on Wednesday reveals that state-sponsored hacker groups from Russia, China, and other U.S. adversaries are using OpenAI tools. It was discovered that they were using this to attack targets.
important facts
OpenAI and Microsoft have disabled accounts associated with hacker groups Charcoal Typhoon, Salmon Typhoon, Crimson Sandstorm, Emerald Threet, and Forest Blizzard, according to reports from the companies.
Chinese-backed groups Charcoal Typhoon and Salmon Typhoon were using OpenAI’s language models to improve their “technical operations” such as research into cybersecurity tools and phishing content, Microsoft said. claims.
Forest Blizzard, a hacker group believed to have ties to Russian military intelligence, has used language models to study “a variety of satellite and radar technologies” that “may be relevant to conventional military operations in Ukraine.” Microsoft claims that it used
North Korean hackers associated with the Emerald Sleet group have generated content “likely to be used in spear-phishing campaigns” against experts in the region, while Crimson Sandstorm, which is said to have ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards reportedly used OpenaI’s tools to create the phishing emails. In Microsoft’s report.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in China, told Reuters that China denies the “groundless slander and accusations” against the country, adding that China is committed to providing “safe and reliable services to promote the common well-being of all mankind.” He said he supports the use of “highly controllable” AI technology. ”
Both Microsoft and OpenAI are improving their tools, including investing in monitoring technology to identify threats, collaborating with other AI companies, and increasing transparency about safety issues that may be related to AI. It said it would use the technology to improve its approach to combating state-sponsored hacking groups.
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Tom Burt, Microsoft’s head of cybersecurity, told the New York Times that the group uses OpenAI’s tools for simple tasks, saying, “They want to be more productive in what they’re doing. I’m just using it like everyone else.”
amazing facts
Last month, Microsoft claimed that its corporate systems were attacked by the Russian-backed hacker group Midnight Blizzard. Microsoft said the group had access to a “small portion” of the company’s corporate email accounts, including some senior executives and employees from its cybersecurity and legal teams. .
Main background
Microsoft released several reports last year about state-sponsored hacking operations. Last year, Microsoft claimed that “China-based attackers” compromised the email accounts of about 25 U.S.-based government agencies. The company also announced that it had discovered infrastructure hacking activity by Chinese hacker Bolt Typhoon, including an attack on U.S. military infrastructure in Guam. Sami Khoury, Canada’s top cybersecurity official, told Reuters that evidence obtained by the Canadian government shows that more hackers are improving their attacks, developing malicious software and sending more convincing phishing emails. He said this suggests that AI is used to create it. Cooley’s warning comes on the heels of a report from European police organization Europol that said tools similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT allowed people to “impersonate organizations and individuals in a very realistic way.” The UK’s National Cyber Security Center also warned of the potential hacking risks of using AI, suggesting that language models could be “useful for cyberattacks beyond current capabilities”.
References
Canada’s top cyber official says AI is being used for hacking and misinformation (Reuters)
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