Ankura CTIX FLASH Update - January 26, 2024

Ransomware/Malware Activity

Future AI Boosts to Ransomware Capabilities Present Major Challenges to Cybersecurity Operations

Warnings have emerged from the United Kingdom's National Cyber Security Center, also known as the NCSC, that artificial intelligence will significantly increase the threat of ransomware in the near future. The NCSC stated that AI will allow for lower-level threat actors to increase their effectiveness and conduct more bespoke campaigns that currently only the more experienced and knowledgeable threat actors can execute. While most commercially available Large Language Model (LLM) products have specific censors and safeguards in place to prevent their use in hacking activities, there are certain products like WormGPT that allow for the creation of malware. The NCSC stated that there were threat actors already utilizing this technology in their campaigns and that it will continue up to and past 2025. The NCSC explains that some