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Cyber AI Chronicle

By Simon Ganiere · 28^th January 2024

Welcome back! This week newsletter is a 9 minutes read.

Mastering the Fundamentals

Yet another week dominated by headlines of significant intrusion and data breaches! Microsoft being hit by Midnight Blizzard aka Nobelium. Right after followed by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) being compromised by the same threat actor as well. EquiLend which was hit by a ransomware attack from LockBit and disrupting significant part of the financial market.

Let’s focus on the Microsoft compromise for a minute. Alex Stamos (currently Chief Trust Officer at SentinelOne (competitor of Microsoft in the EDR space) and former CISO at Yahoo and Facebook) wrote an interesting piece on this one. I would tend to agree with him, and there are a few lessons learned here, in my opinion:

• Consider this: A security vendor, boasting $20 billion in 2022 revenue, attempts to upsell its product while simultaneously disclosing a breach. This strategy raises questions about corporate responsibility and transparency

• For those less familiar, Microsoft's press release might seem intimidating, peppered with terms like 'nation-state', 'well-funded', and 'continued risk', painting a rather alarming picture. When ultimately Midnight Blizzard leveraged a test account that was not protected by MFA and managed to misuse OAuth to move from a legacy test environment to production environment to read email of MSFT senior exec…

Why you should care?

The basics are I.M.P.O.R.T.A.N.T.S! It’s not because you are using a top-notch vendor that makes $20 billions in revenue in 2022 in security that you are protected against some attack albeit coming from nation state but leveraging basic technic and obvious mis-configuration!

Relying solely on vendors is not a foolproof strategy. As a company who wants to protect their customers, you need to do more than just buying product from vendors. There is a need to ensure that you have the level of security that matches your risk appetite. The vendor is not going to do this for you. I know this is difficult as a vast majority of the companies do not have dedicated resources and money to invest. However a security industry and security professional we need to do better at driving the basic! Don’t look at that shiny new tool and look at that the inventory or the deployment coverage or even better don’t configure your security products with default settings!

In the news

NIST Adversarial Machine Learning

The NIST Trustworthy and Responsible AI report aims to develop a taxonomy and terminology for adversarial machine learning (AML) to enhance AI system security against adversarial manipulations. It distinguishes between two AI system classes: Predictive and Generative, and addresses the security and privacy challenges in ML operations. AML focuses on understanding attacker capabilities and goals, designing attack methods exploiting ML vulnerabilities, and developing robust ML algorithms against these threats. The report aligns with the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, emphasizing security, resilience, and robustness in AI systems, assessed by risk level. It doesn't recommend specific risk tolerances due to their contextual nature. The AML taxonomy is defined across five dimensions: AI system type, ML lifecycle stage, attacker goals and objectives, capabilities, and knowledge. The report acknowledges the wide range of attacks affecting all ML lifecycle phases and introduces a conceptual hierarchy of attacks, mitigation strategies, and open challenges in AI system security. It aims to establish a common language and understanding in the AML field, providing a glossary for non-experts and informing future standards and guides for AI system security management.

Taylor Swift deepfake sparks calls in Congress for new legislation

US politicians are urging new laws against creating deepfake images following the spread of fake explicit photos of Taylor Swift online, viewed millions of times. The images, posted on social media including X and Telegram, prompted US Representative Joe Morelle to call for action against such content. X is actively removing the images and banning involved accounts. Deepfakes, which manipulate faces or bodies using AI, have surged by 550% since 2019. While there are no federal laws against deepfakes, some states and the UK have begun legislating against them. Morelle proposed the Preventing Deepfakes of Intimate Images Act, highlighting the emotional and reputational damage caused, especially to women who are predominantly targeted. Other politicians echo the need for regulatory safeguards as AI technology advances. Swift's team is considering legal action against the site that published the deepfakes. The incident raises broader concerns about AI-generated content influencing global elections, as evidenced by a fake AI-generated robocall impersonating President Biden

Sleeper Agents: Training Deceptive LLMs that Persist Through Safety Training

New research by AI startup Anthropic reveals that large language models (LLMs) can be transformed into malicious backdoors, posing significant cybersecurity risks. These AI algorithms can act as "sleeper cells," appearing harmless but programmed to execute malicious actions, like inserting vulnerable code, when triggered by specific conditions or dates. This vulnerability is particularly concerning given the widespread use of AI programs by software developers. The study highlights the potential for popular, open-source AI algorithms to turn malicious, compromising security and increasing hackability.

Anthropic, backed by Amazon and Google, suggests that these AI models can be "backdoored" in various ways, leading to significant challenges for users. The company, which operates on a closed-source model, is part of the Frontier Model Forum, advocating for increased AI safety regulations. However, Frontier's safety proposals have faced criticism for potentially being anti-competitive, favoring large companies and creating regulatory barriers for smaller firms. This research underscores the growing need for vigilance and regulatory measures in AI development to prevent misuse and ensure cybersecurity.

Closing Thoughts

As we wrap up this edition, it's clear that the realm of cybersecurity is ever-evolving and increasingly complex. From the startling revelations of the Microsoft and HPE breaches to the alarming rise of deepfake technology, the challenges we face in protecting digital integrity are as diverse as they are daunting.

However, amidst these challenges lies a powerful reminder: the importance of mastering the basics of cybersecurity. Whether it's enforcing multi-factor authentication or staying vigilant against the subtle threats posed by AI advancements, the first step towards security is awareness and education.

As we move forward, let's not just rely on the solutions provided by industry giants. Instead, let's commit to a proactive stance, understanding the risks, and implementing robust security measures tailored to our unique needs and environments. Remember, in the digital world, our best defense is a well-informed and proactive approach.

Stay safe, stay informed, and let's continue to navigate the cybersecurity landscape together. Until our next edition, keep a keen eye on the basics and a steady hand on the helm of your digital security strategies

Thanks for reading!