Russian hackers turn to AI as old tactics fail, Ukrainian CERT says therecord.media/russian-h…

Russian hackers are increasingly using artificial intelligence and adopting new tactics in cyberattacks against Ukraine as Kyiv’s defenses grow stronger, Ukrainian government researchers said in a new report.

Since Russia’s invasion in 2022, cyberattacks on Ukraine have continued to rise, surpassing 3,000 cases in the first half of this year — about 20 percent more than the same period last year. At the same time, the number of high-impact incidents has declined as Ukraine’s defenses improve. That progress has forced Russian hackers to abandon outdated tactics, automate more of their operations and increasingly experiment with AI-generated malware, according to Ukraine’s computer emergency response team, CERT-UA.

In a report released Wednesday, the agency warned that attackers are now using AI not only to write phishing messages but also to generate malicious code itself. Researchers believe AI tools were used to create PowerShell scripts in malware known as Wrecksteel, attributed to the cyberespionage group UAC-0219. “The use of artificial intelligence in cyberattacks has reached a new level,” CERT-UA said. “We have investigated several viruses showing clear signs of being generated with AI, and attackers will certainly not stop there.”