Ethical Hacking News
Australia's Cyber Spy Chief, Abigail Bradshaw, has warned that the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in hacking threats will lead to more disruption to everyday services. With the ASD reporting a 20% increase in incidents and state-sponsored hackers targeting sensitive information, Bradshaw expects tension in the region to push the threat up. The ASD has taken steps to address the growing threat, including setting up protocols with AI companies and taking down criminal groups that sell and run malware. Bradshaw calls AI both a friend and a foe, saying it widens the scope and scale of attacks, but it's also a big asset for defenders.
Australia's Cyber Spy Chief, Abigail Bradshaw, warns of increased disruption to everyday services due to the growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in hacking threats.The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) reports a 20% increase in cyber incidents in the last financial year, with over 4,400 warnings about potentially malicious activity.State-sponsored hackers are targeting sensitive information, including critical infrastructure, private businesses, and individuals, linked to China, Russia, and North Korea.The ASD expects tension in the region to increase the threat, with state actors using AI to fill information gaps, similar to criminal actors.The ASD has taken steps to address the growing threat, including setting up protocols with AI companies and using AI to produce software capabilities faster.Bradshaw calls AI both a friend and a foe, highlighting its potential for both attack and defense.
In a stark warning to the public, Australia's Cyber Spy Chief, Abigail Bradshaw, has stated that the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in hacking threats will lead to more disruption to everyday services. The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), which is responsible for protecting the country's digital assets, has released its annual cyber threat report, which paints a bleak picture of the growing threat landscape.
According to Bradshaw, the most advanced AI models have redefined the threat, allowing hackers to find vulnerabilities faster and exploit them at greater scale. This has resulted in a significant increase in the number of disruptions to services, including websites being pulled offline for patching, data breaches, and service outages.
The ASD has reported a 20% increase in the number of incidents it handled in the last financial year, with over 4,400 warnings about potentially malicious activity. However, the figures appear to measure different things, so the original report should be checked before either figure is quoted.
The ASD has also revealed that state-sponsored hackers are targeting sensitive or non-public information, including critical infrastructure, private businesses, and individuals. The hackers are linked to China, Russia, and North Korea, and have been using AI to launch larger-scale attacks.
Bradshaw expects tension in the region to push the threat up, as states will try to cut the uncertainty by collecting more information. She also expects state actors to use AI to fill their information gaps, just like criminal actors use it to make money.
The ASD has already warned about Chinese-aligned actors building hidden networks of hijacked devices for spying or offensive use. Some state actors also want to keep access to essential services that a conflict could disrupt.
The ASD has taken steps to address the growing threat, including setting up protocols that work as an early warning system with AI companies. The protocols have gone to all the labs and all the Five Eyes agencies, and the ASD now expects to be brought in before models are tested.
The ASD has also revealed details of its own offensive work, including taking down criminal groups that sell and run malware called Amadey, which hides inside free software and steals personal data or logins. The ASD found it in a free, illegitimate copy of Photoshop and disconnected the network from every victim, preventing 180,000 computers worldwide from being compromised.
Bradshaw calls AI both a friend and a foe, saying it widens the scope and scale of attacks, but it's also a big asset for defenders. The ASD uses AI to produce software capabilities faster and to build new tools.
"The natural progression of this is, as the world becomes uncertain, of course nation states will try to reduce that uncertainty by obtaining more information," Bradshaw said. "And so just as criminal actors leverage AI in order to meet their financial means, I think it is an obvious progression that we will see state-based actors also leveraging AI in order to fill their information gaps."
There is much more that needs to be done, and in the current context, that is now a matter of urgency, Bradshaw concludes.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Australias-Cyber-Spy-Chief-Warns-of-Increasing-Disruption-as-AI-Driven-Hacking-Threats-Continue-to-Escalate-ehn.shtml
https://securityaffairs.com/201859/ai/australias-cyber-spy-chief-expect-more-disruption-as-ai-accelerates-hacking.html
Published: Tue Oct 27 16:01:24 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
