Hacking by criminals and spies has reached 'unprecedented complexity', Microsoft says

A surge in hacking attempts by criminals, fraudsters and spy agencies has reached a level of "unprecedented complexity" that only artificial intelligence will be able to combat, according to Microsoft.
"Last year we tracked 30 billion phishing emails," says Vasu Jakkal, vice president of security at the US-based tech giant.
"There's no way any human can keep up with the volume."
In response, the company is launching 11 AI cybersecurity "agents" tasked with identifying and sifting through suspicious emails, blocking hacking attempts and gathering intelligence on where attacks may originate.
With around 70% of the world's computers running Windows software and many businesses relying on their cloud computing infrastructure, Microsoft has long been the prime target for hackers.
Unlike an AI assistant that might answer a user's query or book a hair appointment, an AI agent is a computer programme that autonomously interacts with its environment to carry out tasks without direct input from a user.
In recent years, there's been a boom in marketplaces on the dark web offering ready-made malware programmes for carrying out phishing attacks, as well as the potential for AI to write new malware code and automate attacks, which has led to what Ms Jakkal describes as a "gig economy" for cybercriminals worth $9.2trn (£7.1trn).
She says they have seen a five-fold increase in the number of organised hacking groups - whether state-backed or criminal.
"We are facing unprecedented complexity when it comes to the threat landscape," says Ms Jakkal.
The AI agents, some created by Microsoft, and others made by external partners, will be incorporated into Microsoft's portfolio of AI tools called Copilot and will primarily serve their customers' IT and cybersecurity teams rather than individual Windows users.
Because an AI can spot patterns in data and screen inboxes for dodgy-looking emails far faster than a human IT manager, specialist cybersecurity firms and now Microsoft have been launching "agentic" AI models to keep increasingly vulnerable users safe online.
But others in the field are deeply concerned about unleashing autonomous AI agents across a user's computer or network.
In an interview with Sky News last month, Meredith Whittaker, CEO of messaging app Signal, said: "Whether you call it an agent, whether you call it a bot, whether you call it something else, it can only know what's in the data it has access to, which means there is a hunger for your private data and there's a real temptation to do privacy invading forms of AI."
Microsoft says its release of multiple cybersecurity agents ensures each AI has a very defined role, only allowing it access to data that's relevant to its task.
It also applies what it calls a "zero trust framework" to its AI tools, which requires the company to constantly assess whether agents are playing by the rules they were programmed with.
A roll-out of new AI cybersecurity software by a company as dominant as Microsoft will be closely watched.
Last July, a tiny error in the software code of an application made cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike instantly crash around 8.5 million computers worldwide running Microsoft Windows, leaving users unable to restart their machines.
The incident - described as the largest outage in the history of computing - affected airports, hospitals, rail networks and thousands of businesses including Sky News - some of which took days to recover.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

South Wales Argus

2 hours ago

• South Wales Argus

Morrisons customers 10 per cent off discounts this summer

Every Monday, the 10% discount will be available on all of the Market Street counters when customers swipe their More Card at the checkout. Customers will be able to see how much they have saved with their discount on Morrisons Butchers, Fishmongers, Pie Shop, Bakery, Oven Fresh, Deli, Pizza, Cake Shop and Salad Bar by looking at the bottom of their receipt. On Mondays, More Card holders will also be able to receive the 10% discount in the Café and Café Brews. Fraser Lovatt, Managing Director of Market Street at Morrisons, says: 'We know our customers value the range, quality and service they get from our Market Street counters. So, as a thank you to our loyal More Card customers, we're thrilled to be offering them a 10% discount on our Market Street counters and in the Café every Monday.' This follows news that Morrisons has 'bounced back' from a cyber attack which disrupted its Christmas trading, with stronger sales and profits for the latest quarter. But the UK's fifth-largest supermarket chain warned that rising inflation is driving 'subdued' sentiment among shoppers. Last week, the Bradford-based grocery business revealed that group sales grew by 4.2% to £3.9 billion for the 13 weeks to April 27, compared with the same quarter a year earlier. Recommended reading: It comes as the company pushes on with its major turnaround plan, which has seen it overhaul a raft of store operations. In March, Morrisons announced that 365 staff were at risk of redundancy because of plans to close some of its cafes, convenience stores, florists and fresh food counters. As a result, it said it would shut 52 cafes, all 18 market kitchens, 17 Morrisons Daily convenience stores, 13 florists, 35 meat counters, 35 fish counters and four pharmacies.

Daily Mail​

2 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

Nato summit shambles? US and Spain 'opt out' of new 3.5% spending target with fears of Trump no-show - and questions over how UK will find an extra $40bn a year

Fears are mounting over the Nato summit with both the US and Spain opting out of a new spending target - and speculation Donald Trump might not turn up. The military alliance is due to gather in The Hague tomorrow evening amid chaos in the Middle East and the ongoing war in Ukraine. The US has been demanding member states ramp up defence expenditure to 3.5 per cent of GDP, with an extra 1.5 per cent on measures such as cyber security. However, a draft communique appears to have pushed back the timetable for hitting the level from 2032 to 2035. The language on the pledge has also reportedly been watered down from 'we commit' to 'allies commit', with Spain flatly dismissing the idea of meeting the goal. Mr Trump himself has said America is not bound by it. 'We've been supporting NATO so long… So I don't think we should, but I think that the NATO countries should, absolutely,' he said on Friday. The slippage raises doubts about whether other states will feel they have to stand by the spending target. Countries such as Germany face finding upwards of $60billion a year more for the military if a mooted increase in the target goes ahead. The increase in Italy would be equivalent to around $46billion, Canada $45billion, France £44billion and the UK roughly $40billion. Spain allocated just 1.24 per cent of GDP on defence in 2024. That could have left it facing funding a $36billion boost despite having a relatively small economy. But left-wing PM Pedro Sanchez said yesterday that it was only looking to hit 2.1 per cent of GDP. 'We fully respect the legitimate desire of other countries to increase their defence investment, but we are not going to do so,' he said in a TV address. The cash cost of the goal for each country have been estimated by comparing the Nato figures for spending levels in 2024 to World Bank figures for the size of GDP. The current target is 2 per cent, which has not been met by all states. Only Poland currently tops the 3.5 per cent level. The US itself spent 3.38 per cent on defence in 2024, although the sheer size of its economy meant that dwarfed contributions from the rest of the alliance. Britain allocated 2.33 per cent of GDP to defence last year, and Keir Starmer has committed to reaching 2.5 per cent by April 2027. There is an 'ambition' of increasing that to 3 per cent at some stage in the next parliament - likely to run to 2034. Former UK national security adviser Lord Ricketts said any escalation in the standoff with Iran could change the president's plans Nato sources told MailOnline there had been concerns in the lead-up to the gathering that Mr Trump might not attend. The president exited the G7 summit in Canada early last week, snubbing a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky - who is in London for talks with Sir Keir today. Former UK national security adviser Lord Ricketts said any escalation in the standoff with Iran could change the president's plans. The peer posted on X last night: 'Must be highly likely that Trump pulls out of the much-anticipated NATO Summit starting on Tuesday. And a racing certainty he won't go if Iran retaliates.'

Reuters

3 hours ago

• Reuters

Rupee weakens alongside Asian peers, oil pullback cushions losses

MUMBAI, June 23 (Reuters) - The Indian rupee declined on Monday alongside Asian currencies, as investors turned to safe-havens such as the U.S. dollar amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, although a retreat in crude oil prices helped cushion their losses. Market participants remained focused on Iran's response to U.S. attacks on its nuclear sites. The rupee closed at 86.75 against the U.S. dollar, down 0.2% from its close at 86.5850 in the previous session. Brent crude oil futures hit a five-month peak of $81.40 per barrel earlier in the day but pared gains to be last quoted at $77.4 per barrel. Iran has repeatedly threatened to retaliate after the U.S. struck the county's nuclear sites over the weekend, raising fears that the retaliation may include a closure of the Strait of Hormuz through which roughly a fifth of global crude supply flows. The dollar index was up rose nearly 0.4% to touch a near-two week high of 99.4 while Asian currencies were down between 0.2% and 1.4%. In case the "geopolitical risk and oil spike proves to be only temporary, we think markets will rapidly default back to preferring strategic USD shorts on the back of US-generated bearish drivers," ING Bank said in a note. Global investors treaded with caution on Monday, with most equity gauges in Asia and Europe trading in the red but not suffering steep losses. India's benchmarks, the BSE Sensex (.BSESN), opens new tab and the Nifty 50 (.NSEI), opens new tab ended lower by about 0.6% each. U.S. equity futures, meanwhile, nudged higher. The relatively muted reaction in oil prices is a source of comfort for the rupee, a trader at a state-run bank said. However, a fresh round of escalation in the Middle East could push the rupee below the psychologically important 87 level, the trader added. Market participants reckon that the Reserve Bank of India is likely to step in to curb excessive volatility spurred by geopolitical developments.