A major cyber attack on the Mexican government! This AI tool was weaponized, and 150GB of sensitive data was stolen.
Cyber Attack on Mexico: Mexico's government network system has recently been in the news due to a major cyber attack.
Cyber Attack on Mexico: Mexico's government network system has recently been in the news due to a major cyber attack. According to reports, hackers, using an AI chatbot, breached government systems and stole approximately 150GB of sensitive information. The stolen data reportedly included taxpayer details, internal documents, and employee login credentials. The AI tool Cloud was allegedly used in this attack.
How was the attack carried out?
According to media reports, the breach began in December and continued undetected for several weeks. Cybersecurity company Gambit Security, tracking this activity, claims that the attacker used AI to identify vulnerabilities in the government network, create attack scripts, and accelerate the data extraction process.
Most shockingly, the AI initially denied involvement in illegal activities, but repeated and varied commands were used to circumvent security limitations. This allowed the AI to generate detailed reports and potential attack plans.
Company Response and Additional Investigation
Anthropic, the company that developed the AI, confirmed an investigation into the incident. The company stated that accounts associated with suspicious activity have been closed and additional security measures have been added to its new model to prevent abuse.
Reports also revealed that the attacker used ChatGPT to gather technical information. However, OpenAI stated that it had identified attempts to violate the rules and blocked several requests.
Who is Responsible and What's Next?
There has been no official confirmation yet about who is behind this attack. No organization has claimed responsibility, but some experts are linking it to a foreign state-sponsored activity.
There has been a limited response from Mexico. While some government agencies have claimed their systems are secure, cyber experts say that several major security flaws existed within government networks.
This incident once again demonstrates that while advanced AI tools are opening up new avenues for innovation, their misuse can also lead to serious cyber threats. The need for a more vigilant and robust digital security system is now being recognized.