Google, CrowdStrike and Kroll struggle to handle surge in AI-powered cyberattacks

Major US cybersecurity companies Google's Mandiant, CrowdStrike and Kroll are struggling to cope with a surge in cyberattacks driven by artificial intelligence. The companies told NBC News that the volume of attacks has reached levels they have never seen before. The primary reason for the increase is the use of AI tools, which have made hacking operations faster, easier and cheaper.

Charles Carmakal, chief technology officer at Mandiant, said the company has been extremely busy over the past 12 months, but the situation has worsened over the past two months. His company, which is Google's cloud cybersecurity firm, is overwhelmed by the number of hacking attempts. Since the number of cyberattacks has surged, firms are prioritizing customers who already have existing contracts, leaving businesses without these agreements struggling to find help after being hacked.

AI has enabled even small groups of hackers to carry out large-scale attacks, as a recent campaign by a hacker group allegedly working for Chinese intelligence shows. This group used an AI tool originally designed for website developers to identify security weaknesses and break into computer systems. CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity firm that identified the campaign, stated that the threat from AI-powered hackers is already here and will not diminish any time soon.

Max Henderson, global head of digital forensics and incident response at Kroll, noted that hackers can repeatedly experiment with AI tools while cybersecurity teams must be more cautious. Cybersecurity firms are actively recruiting more employees to handle the increasing number of attacks, but the hiring process takes time. Many organizations are trying to introduce AI tools into their cybersecurity defenses, but this process takes time as companies ensure the tools work properly and safely.

Meanwhile, Kroll has had to turn away new customers who cannot be fully recovered and repaired due to the high demand.