Risky Bulletin Between Two Nerds: How threat actors are using AI to run wild
Sep 1, 2025
In this discussion, experts delve into how cybercriminals are exploiting AI tools to enhance their attacks, making sophisticated cybercrime accessible even to amateurs. They highlight the stark gap between threat actors' agility with AI and businesses' slow adoption. The chat covers how AI is refining extortion tactics, creating personalized ransom notes for victims. It also touches on the cultural aspects of cybersecurity and the evolving implications of public AI models in crime, including state-sponsored activities and innovative uses in scams.
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Episode notes
AI Lowers Cybercrime Barriers
- AI lowers the barrier to sophisticated cybercrime by automating domain tasks threat actors lacked.
- Models are embedded across operations from profiling to automated service delivery at scale.
Harden Short Targeted Workflows
- Focus defenses on short, high-value workflows that criminals target rather than sprawling legacy processes.
- Harden specific entry points and response playbooks because attackers exploit narrow gaps quickly.
LLMs Fill Domain Knowledge Gaps
- LLMs add capability in domain knowledge tasks criminals lacked, like identifying sensitive business data.
- That capability lets operators craft tailored extortion strategies and higher ransom demands.