Hackers Find ‘Ideal Testing Ground’ for Attacks: Developing Countries
They test something, make improvements, and then six weeks later test again before launching it at their true targets.”
As internet use has expanded in Africa, Mr. Liska said, his company has noticed an increase in so-called spear-phishing
attacks in which hackers appear to be testing their skills in English- and French-speaking African countries.
By SHEERA FRENKELJULY 2, 2017
SAN FRANCISCO — The attack had the hallmarks of something researchers had dreaded for years: malicious software using artificial intelligence
that could lead to a new digital arms race in which A. I.-driven defenses battled A. I.-driven offenses while humans watched from the sidelines.
As other cybersecurity companies enter Southeast Asia, Africa
and other parts of the world where they have not had much presence, they will continue to discover new types of malware being tested in those markets, said Allan Liska, a senior threat intelligence analyst at Recorded Future, a cybersecurity firm based in Somerville, Mass.
“India is a place where newer A. I.
attacks might be seen for the first time, simply because it is an ideal testing ground
for those sorts of attacks,” said Nicole Eagan, the chief executive of Darktrace.
“What was concerning was that this attack, once it got into the network, used A. I.
techniques, like trying to learn the behaviors of employees on the network, to remain undetected for as long as possible,” Ms. Eagan said.
