The company stated in a press release on the social media platform “X”: “The ESET Research Center has discovered the first known AI-based ransomware, which we have named PromptLock.” This malicious software has the ability to extract, encrypt, and potentially even destroy data, although this last function has not yet been implemented in the malware. Regardless of the intent behind PromptLock, its discovery indicates how AI tools are being used to automate different stages of ransomware attacks, from reconnaissance to data extraction, at speeds and scales previously deemed impossible.
AI models have made it easier to craft convincing phishing codes and messages, as well as deepfake images, audio clips, and videos. The availability of these tools significantly reduces the difficulty of hacking for attackers with less technological expertise, allowing them to achieve breaches beyond their capabilities.
The potential emergence of AI-supported malware, capable, among other things, of adapting to environments and rapidly changing tactics, may represent new horizons in the field of cyberattacks as well as in the efforts to counter these attacks.
