Chinese hackers used artificial intelligence to breach Taiwan government resources
They hacked into at least 85 user accounts and stole more than 2,500 employee records. They then spread the attack to Taiwan's nuclear safety agency and at least seven energy companies.
Chinese hackers have used artificial intelligence (AI) tools to launch a cyberattack on Taiwanese government resources, the Financial Times reported, citing Israeli cybersecurity firm Dream.
Researchers who first discovered the attack told reporters that the attackers used up to eight open-source AI agents. They acted as a coordinated cyber team to create the hacking tools.
In early July, AI agents mapped 21 government systems to identify vulnerabilities. They hacked into at least 85 user accounts on these systems and stole more than 2,500 employee records. The attack then spread to Taiwan’s nuclear safety agency and at least seven energy companies.
Dream said it had notified a country in the Asia-Pacific region of the breach, but did not specify which country. The FT's sources confirmed that the attack was aimed at Taiwan. The hackers' connection to China is suggested by the use of simplified Chinese in internal correspondence about the attack.
Chinese government officials did not respond to the newspaper's request for comment. Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Technology declined to comment on the breach, citing confidentiality.