UK Minister Sounds Alarm: Are Russia’s AI Plans the Next Cyberthreat?

As the war rages on in Ukraine’s battlefields, another front becomes vulnerable to Russian attacks: cyberspace. The UK and NATO allies, including the U.S., are beginning to recognize the need to step up efforts to protect their political institutions and national infrastructures. British cabinet minister Pat McFadden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, raised the alarm on Russia’s plot to use artificial intelligence to enhance its cyberwarfare activities at a NATO Cyber Defence Conference in London on November 25.

“[W]e are witnessing a unique era of contest and competition,” McFadden said in a speech. “One where our adversaries are becoming increasingly emboldened and aggressive, testing our collective security on a daily basis. And that contest is played out in two realms: the physical and the cyber.”

In Ukraine, Russian hackers cut off the communication of millions of Ukrainians and disabled the country’s power networks. Vladimir Putin has threatened Ukraine’s NATO allies for allowing Kyiv to use Storm Shadow missiles to hit legitimate targets on Russian soil. The threat also comes with stepping up their cybercrime activities and possibly knocking out the power grids of these nations.

Moscow has augmented its cyberattacks with AI, targeting NATO member countries that support Ukraine in the war. The attacks aim to shut down critical infrastructure, such as electricity grids, telecommunications, transport systems, government services, and financial institutions. McFadden said the attacks are frequent and becoming more sophisticated, citing a recent incident in which cybercriminals hacked into a water plant in Texas.

He urged NATO allies to work closer and collaborate to advance in “the new AI arms race.” Governments and businesses must remain vigilant in protecting their key infrastructure from Russian hackers and Russia-linked cybercriminals operating in countries like North Korea. The UK also announced the creation of the Laboratory for AI Security Research (LASR), a London-based research program to keep up with emerging technologies and the impact of AI on national security. The project received an initial funding of $10.3 million to study the role and impact of AI on national security.

“Russian military and its unofficial army of cyber criminals and hacktivists have not just stepped up their attacks but widened their targets to a number of NATO members and partners,” McFadden said.

Read our guide to the best AI security tools to learn more about how the technology is being used on both sides of the arms race.
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