2 min Security

AI influences voter sentiment in at least a third of elections

AI influences voter sentiment in at least a third of elections

Cyber attacks increasingly focus on influence operations and disinformation campaigns rather than direct infrastructure disruptions.

That’s according to research from Check Point. AI-powered cyber warfare is playing a dominant role in today’s threat landscape. Organizations in the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) region were attacked an average of 1,679 times per week over the past six months, just below the global average. Interestingly, the education and research sector has been hit the hardest, with an average of 4,247 weekly attacks per organization.

The use of AI in cyber attacks is taking on worrying proportions. In at least one-third of major elections between September 2023 and February 2024, AI was used to influence voter sentiment and spread disinformation. AI is also being used to manipulate public trust.

Shift in ransomware tactics

Another development is the shift in ransomware attacks. Instead of encrypting files, attackers focus more on stealing and threatening to leak sensitive corporate data.

At the same time, Check Point sees a fragmented ransomware landscape emerging. This is due in part to successful operations by police and other authorities. They have taken steps against groups such as LockBit and ALPHV. Early last year, servers of LockBit, for years one of the most successful ransomware groups, were taken offline. At the same time, new threats are emerging, including RansomHub.

Tip: Chinese state hackers hacked telecom companies worldwide