Security News > 2024 > January > UK says AI will empower ransomware over the next two years
The agency says cybercriminals already use AI for various purposes, and the phenomenon is expected to worsen over the next two years, helping increase the volume and severity of cyberattacks.
The NCSC believes that AI will enable inexperienced threat actors, hackers-for-hire, and low-skilled hacktivists to conduct more effective, tailored attacks that would otherwise require significant time, technical knowledge, and operational effort.
"Threat actors, including ransomware actors, are already using AI to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of aspects of cyber operations, such as reconnaissance, phishing and coding," warns the NCSC in a separate threat assessment.
AI will likely intensify cyber attacks in the next two years, particularly through the evolution of current tactics.
AI will make cyber attacks against the UK more impactful by enabling faster, more effective data analysis and training of AI models.
AI lowers entry barriers for novice cybercriminals, contributing to the global ransomware threat.