DHS: US critical infrastructure facing malicious AI threat

U.S. critical infrastructure organizations have been noted by the Department of Homeland Security to be at risk of cyberattacks leveraging artificial intelligence, with China and other nation-states exploiting the technology to deploy more advanced malware attacks and influence operations, CyberScoop reports. More sophisticated malware for widespread and accelerated attacks particularly against pipelines and railways are being mulled by Chinese state-sponsored threat operations, which are also expected to continue targeting government, healthcare, finance, and communications organizations, as well as the defense industrial base, according to the DHS Homeland Threat Assessment. Various cyberespionage operations have also been conducted by Russia and Iran against U.S. critical infrastructure entities, said the report, which also noted the exploitation of AI in information campaigns meant to disrupt the upcoming presidential polls. "The proliferation of accessible artificial intelligence tools likely will bolster our adversaries tactics for mis-, dis- and mal-information campaigns and cyberattacks," said a DHS official.