The impact of evolving AI in cybercrime [Q&A]
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been an evolving trend at the very center of cybersecurity in recent years. However, the release of a wave of new tools such as ChatGPT and Microsoft's Jasper chatbot have sparked fresh concerns about the potential for cybercriminals to leverage increasingly sophisticated technologies for nefarious purposes.
We spoke to Zach Fleming, principal architect at Integrity360, to explore whether AI can be used to create sophisticated malware and hacking tools capable of bringing down entire networks. We'll consider which concerns are valid by highlighting the current state of AI, and we'll explore how security teams can best combat the use of AI in cybercrime.
AI for the good guys: Practical lessons for AI and cyber risk
Threat actors are early adopters. Cyber defense is brimming with uncertainties, but one dynamic you can be confident about is that threat actors will leverage everything available to exploit a target. In 2023, this means the rise of artificial intelligence-enabled attacks, from AI-generated social engineering scripts to powerful automation designed to find and exploit vulnerabilities and spread laterally through systems and networks.
Security teams, therefore need to be prepared to meet the challenge of cloud scale threats on both a technical level and an organizational level. It requires anticipating threats that exist beyond technical vulnerabilities, including, for example, social engineering and DDoS. This is part of the challenge of modern cyber security -- the attack surface comprises not just the entirety of IT infrastructure, its endpoints, and all the data it uses and stores, but also its users. It is too large to be effectively managed manually.
Microsoft begins rolling out its major Paint update, with AI-powered Paint Cocreator
Following on from yesterday’s Windows 11 update which saw the arrival of the AI-powered Copilot, Microsoft has today released a major update to its venerable Paint app.
The highlight of this new build is Paint Cocreator, an AI-powered feature that uses DALL-E technology to help users create stunning artwork simply by describing what they want in a few words.
Enterprises have ambitious plans for machine learning but the road isn't a smooth one
A new survey looks at how organizations find business value from machine learning (ML), how they plan to invest in the near term, and the challenges they expect to face in achieving their ambitious goals for getting new ML initiatives into production.
The study, conducted by NewtonX for Wallaroo.AI, asked asked chief data officers, chief analytics officers and leaders responsible for AI business outcomes in US private enterprises how they plan to invest in the near term and the challenges they expect to face in achieving their goals for getting new ML initiatives into production.
How to get the big Windows 11 update, with Copilot AI and other features
Today is a huge day for Windows 11 users, as it’s when Microsoft begins rolling out a major update for the new operating system, bringing the power of Copilot to Windows, as well as other new AI powered experiences to apps.
Provided you have a device running Windows 11 version 22H2, you can install these non-security updates -- there will be more than one -- as soon as they start to roll out.
Microsoft confirms that Command Prompt is here to stay, but Windows Terminal and PowerShell offer more to power users
The existence of the Command Prompt as well as Windows Terminal has resulted in many people asking just when the latter will replace the former. In response to such queries, Microsoft has cleared things up -- Windows Terminal is not a replacement for Command Prompt... nor, for that matter, is PowerShell.
Command Prompt may be getting a little long in the tooth, but that's far from being a reason to kill it off. Indeed, Microsoft points to the fact that the aging tool has proved useful to AI developers in recent years.
Microsoft makes important clarifications about this week's Copilot-touting Windows 11 update
There are big changes coming to Windows 11 this week as Microsoft starts the rollout of a huge update, as it announced at its recent Surface event.
Starting on September 26, the update will make features such as Copilot and passwordless security options available to users of Windows 11, but Microsoft has made a couple of clarifying points out it. Firstly, it is important to note that this update, although big and noteworthy, is not Windows 11 23H2 -- this is coming later in the year. But there's more.
Microsoft's massive Windows 11 update, featuring Copilot AI, begins rolling out on September 26th!
Although today's big Microsoft event was mostly supposed to focus on new Surface devices, the company devoted a lot of time to AI, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone.
Copilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered companion, is coming to pretty much everywhere, including Windows 11, Bing, Edge, and Microsoft 365 Copilot. For Windows 11 users, that is huge news, and the feature is set to arrive from next week.
63 percent of IT workers are worried AI will take their jobs
While many IT workers see the productivity benefits of AI, 56 percent believe it benefits employers more than employees. Additionally, 63 percent are concerned generative AI tools might take their job in the next five years compared to 44 percent of general office workers.
These are some of the findings of a new report from Ivanti. It also looks and digital experience (DEX) and finds 58 percent still prefer dealing with a human rather than a chatbot.
Countering the rise of AI criminals
As generative AI tools continue to expand, new doors are being opened for fraudsters to exploit weaknesses. Have you experimented with generative AI tools like ChatGPT yet? From beating writer’s block to composing ad copy, creating travel itineraries, and kickstarting code snippets, there’s something for everyone. Unfortunately, "everyone" includes criminals.
Cybercriminals are early adopters. If there’s a shiny new technology to try, you can bet that crooks will explore how to use it to commit crimes. The earlier they can exploit this technology, the better -- this will give them a head start on defenses being put in place to block their nefarious activities. If tech helps boost the scale or sophistication of criminal attacks, it’s extra attractive. It’s no wonder cybercriminals have been loving tools like ChatGPT.
With the launch of Bard Extensions, Google brings AI to many more of its products and services
The relentless march of AI shows no signs of slowing, and Google is eager to steal a piece of the actions from OpenAI's ChatGPT with its own Bard. It is with this aim in mind that Google has launched a huge update to its generative artificial intelligence tool in the form of Extensions.
With Bard Extensions, Google is achieving two things. Firstly, it expands the capabilities of Bard by letting it tap into the power and data of its other services including YouTube and Maps. Secondly, it makes the likes of Gmail and Drive more useful by harnessing the power of AI.
Microsoft updates Paint in Windows 11 with support for layers and transparency, and is working on generative AI
Far from abandoning Paint after nearly four decades, Microsoft is actively developing the app. Having already updated the longstanding image editor with a powerful background removal feature, the company is continuing to equip Paint lovers with new tools.
The latest additions to the beloved app are support for layers and transparency. This is yet another example of Microsoft elevating Paint above being a basic bitmap editor, and there is more on the way. There are also hints in the code of the app that generative AI is under development, meaning that Paint will be able to create images using the DALL-E-powered Cocreator.
The thirst for AI could push up GPU prices and leave consumers with less choice
Reports suggest that AMD is so focused on developing AI-related technology that the company is transferring time and resources away from gaming. The switch will not only mean that AMD will lose ground to NVIDIA, but also that there is likely to be an increase in GPU prices.
AMD is said to have scrapped plans to release high-end RDNA 4 generation of graphics cards -- so the Radeon RX 8800 and 8900 may well not see the light of day next year. The decision is believed to stem from AMD's desire to better compete with NVIDIA in the AI arena by refocusing its semiconductor resources.
No more AI please, the infrastructure won't cope
While there's continuing buzz surrounding the use of AI, only 50 percent of IT leaders in a new survey say their company's current infrastructure is equipped to handle greater use of it.
The research from observability platform for hybrid IT infrastructures, LogicMonitor, shows that IT leaders do grasp the immense potential of AI technology, and even have a shortlist of desired outcomes it could help tackle.
The race to regulate AI: The next frontier for law and society
Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to be the next major technological advancement to dramatically impact modern society. From transforming the way we work, to increasing efficiency in outdated systems, the changes promised by AI have the potential to be utterly transformational. While this brings a huge range of opportunities, there are also some enormous challenges to overcome if humanity is to strike an effective balance between progress and risk.
History shows that society and the law do not always handle rapid innovation well. Take technologies such as the steam engine and automated loom, for instance, where progress was met with varying degrees of resistance and fear before the benefits were fully realized. In the case of AI, harnessing its potential while safeguarding against misuse means legislators must take a measured, risk-based approach to regulation that embraces change alongside effective safeguards.
Recent Headlines
Most Commented Stories
© 1998-2024 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.