South Korea and Japan are buffeted by hacks as AI lowers bar for cybercriminals

South Korean and Japanese companies are racing to strengthen cyber defenses after a wave of attacks that cybersecurity experts say are highlighting how AI may be lowering the bar for criminals with limited technical skills.

Nine South Korean banks and two mega-churches are investigating cyberattacks that may have involved AI tools, while Japanese companies including Daiwa Securities, SoftBank and the Lawson convenience store chain have been hit by a recent surge in cyber incidents.

Authorities are still investigating whether and how AI was used in many of the breaches. But cybersecurity specialists say the technology is helping attackers automate tasks from scanning for software vulnerabilities to crafting phishing campaigns, making cybercrime faster, cheaper and harder to detect.

“AI doesn’t get tired … My view is that Japan is essentially being subjected to carpet bombing,” said Nobuo Miwa, president of the Tokyo-based cybersecurity firm S&J Corp.

OpenAI halts new model release over security concerns

Japan recorded more cybersecurity incidents in the first nine months of the year than in all of last year, according to data from TrendAI. Incidents rose to 86 in September, up about 18% from August and 37% from July.

The rise suggests attackers have crossed a threshold…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/world