AI, once relegated to helping hackers with certain tasks, can now power every stage of a cyberattack

Just two years ago, hackers were tapping into generative artificial intelligence to probe targets, translate technical material and troubleshoot malicious code. The technology sped up some key parts of a cyber operation, but other stages remained solely in human hands.

That line is now beginning to blur. In a range of cyberattacks observed over the past year, AI systems generated commands, tested vulnerabilities and helped hackers move through victim networks, sometimes carrying out thousands of commands with less human direction than researchers had previously seen, according to research released Monday night by cybersecurity firm Check Point.

It means AI has now been used in some form at every stage of a cyberattack, from identifying targets to exploiting vulnerabilities to stealing data, to help hackers achieve their goals.

Read more at NextGov/FCW