Here's how ransomware crims are abusing AI tools

It's no secret that AI tools make it easier for cybercriminals to steal sensitive data and then extort victim organizations. But two recent developments illustrate exactly how much LLMs lower the bar for ransomware and other financially motivated cybercrime - and provide a glimpse to defenders about what's on the horizon. ESET malware researchers Anton Cherepanov and Peter Strýček recently sounded the alarm on what they called the "first known AI-powered ransomware," which they named PromptLock. While it later came to light that the proof-of-concept malware had been uploaded to VirusTotal by academics - not criminals - "in theory, it could be used against organizations," Cherepanov told The Register. Plus, "it demonstrates that these systems are sophisticated enough to deceive security experts into thinking they're real malware from attack groups," New York University engineering student and doctoral candidate Md Raz said. And its emergence should put defenders on notice that ransomware development via AI is no longer a future, theoretical threat. Around the same time as ESET's malware hunters spotted PromptLock, Anthropic warned that a cybercrime crew used its Claude Code AI tool in a data extortion operation that hit 17 organizations, with the crims demanding ransoms ranging from $75,000 to $500,000 for the stolen data. The model maker said the extortionists used Claude Code in all phases of the operation, from conducting automated reconnaissance and target discovery to exp...