Cyberconflict and warfare

AI fuels a new wave of cyber threats in Greece

Greece is confronting a rapid rise in cybercrime as AI strengthens the tools available to criminals, according to the head of the National Cyber Security Authority.

Michael Bletsas warned that Europe is already experiencing hybrid conflict, with Northeastern states facing severe incidents that reveal a digital frontline. Greece has not endured physical sabotage or damage to its infrastructure, yet cyberattacks remain a pressing concern.

Bletsas noted that most activity involves cybercrime instead of destructive action. He pointed to the expansion of cyberactivism and vandalism through denial-of-service attacks, which usually cause no lasting harm.

The broader problem stems from a surge in AI-driven intrusions and espionage, which offer new capabilities to malicious groups and create a more volatile environment.

Moreover, Bletsas said that the physical and digital worlds should be viewed as a single, interconnected sphere, with security designed around shared principles rather than being treated as separate domains.

Digital warfare is already unfolding, and Greece is part of it. The country must now define its alliances and strengthen its readiness as cyber threats intensify and the global divide grows deeper.

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Taiwan blocks Chinese app RedNote after surge in online scams

Authorities in Taiwan will block the Chinese social media and shopping app RedNote for a year following a surge in online scams linked to the platform. Officials report that more than 1,700 fraud cases have been linked to the app since last year, resulting in losses exceeding NT$247 million.

Regulators report that the company failed to meet required data-security standards and did not respond to requests for a plan to strengthen cybersecurity.

Internet providers have been instructed to restrict access, affecting several million users who now see a security warning message when opening the app.

Concerns over Beijing’s online influence and the spread of disinformation have added pressure on Taiwanese authorities to tighten oversight of Chinese platforms.

RedNote’s operators are also facing scrutiny in mainland China, where regulators have criticised the company over what they labelled ‘negative’ content.

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Europe builds a laser ground station in Greenland to protect satellite links

Europe is building a laser-based ground station in Greenland to secure satellite links as Russian jamming intensifies. ESA and Denmark chose Kangerlussuaq for its clear skies and direct access to polar-orbit traffic.

The optical system uses Astrolight’s technology to transmit data markedly faster than radio signals. Narrow laser beams resist interference, allowing vast imaging sets to reach analysts with far fewer disruptions.

Developers expect terabytes to be downloaded in under a minute, reducing reliance on vulnerable Arctic radio sites. European officials say the upgrade strengthens autonomy as undersea cables and navigation systems face repeated targeting from countries such as Russia.

The Danish station will support defence monitoring, climate science and search-and-rescue operations across high latitudes. Work is underway, with completion planned for 2026 and ambitions for a wider global laser network.

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Porn site fined £1m for ignoring UK child safety age checks

A UK pornographic website has been fined £1m by Ofcom for failing to comply with mandatory age verification under the Online Safety Act. The company, AVS Group Ltd, did not respond to repeated contact from the regulator, prompting an additional £50,000 penalty.

The Act requires websites hosting adult content to implement ‘highly effective age assurance’ to prevent children from accessing explicit material. Ofcom has ordered the company to comply within 72 hours or face further daily fines.

Other tech platforms are also under scrutiny, with one unnamed major social media company undergoing compliance checks. Regulators warn that non-compliance will result in formal action, highlighting the growing enforcement of child safety online.

Critics argue the law must be tougher to ensure real protection, particularly for minors and women online. While age checks have reduced UK traffic to some sites, loopholes like VPNs remain a concern, and regulators are pushing for stricter adherence.

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Privacy concerns lead India to withdraw cyber safety app mandate

India has scrapped its order mandating smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the state-run Sanchar Saathi cyber safety app. The directive, which faced widespread criticism, had raised concerns over privacy and potential government surveillance.

Smartphone makers, including Apple and Samsung, reportedly resisted the order, highlighting that it was issued without prior consultation and challenged user privacy norms. The government argued the app was necessary to verify handset authenticity.

So far, the Sanchar Saathi app has attracted 14 million users, reporting around 2,000 frauds daily, with a sharp spike of 600,000 new registrations in a single day. Despite these figures, the mandatory pre-installation rule provoked intense backlash from cybersecurity experts and digital rights advocates.

India’s Minister of Communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia, dismissed concerns about surveillance, insisting that the app does not enable snooping. Digital advocacy groups welcomed the withdrawal but called for complete legal clarity on the revised Cyber Security Rules, 2024.

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Apple support scam targets users with real tickets

Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting Apple’s support system to trick users into surrendering their accounts. Fraudsters open real support tickets in a victim’s name, which triggers official Apple emails and creates a false sense of legitimacy. These messages appear professional, making it difficult for users to detect the scam.

Victims often receive a flood of alerts, including two-factor authentication notifications, followed by phone calls from callers posing as Apple agents. The scammers guide users through steps that appear to secure their accounts, often directing them to convincing fake websites that request sensitive information.

Entering verification codes or following instructions on these fraudulent pages gives attackers access to the account. Even experienced users can fall prey because the emails come from official Apple domains, and the phone calls are carefully scripted to build trust.

Experts recommend checking support tickets directly within your Apple ID account, never sharing verification codes, and reviewing all devices linked to your account. Using antivirus software, activating two-factor authentication, and limiting personal information online further strengthen protection against such sophisticated phishing attacks.

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Safran and UAE institute join forces on AI geospatial intelligence

Safran.AI, the AI division of Safran Electronics & Defence, and the UAE’s Technology Innovation Institute have formed a strategic partnership to develop a next-generation agentic AI geospatial intelligence platform.

The collaboration aims to transform high-resolution satellite imagery into actionable intelligence for defence operations.

The platform will combine human oversight with advanced geospatial reasoning, enabling operators to interpret and respond to emerging situations faster and with greater precision.

Key initiatives include agentic reasoning systems powered by large language models, a mission-specific AI detector factory, and an autonomous multimodal fusion engine for persistent, all-weather monitoring.

Under the agreement, a joint team operating across France and the UAE will accelerate innovation within a unified operational structure.

Leaders from both organisations emphasise that the alliance strengthens sovereign geospatial intelligence capabilities and lays the foundations for decision intelligence in national security.

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Europe boosts defence with Leonardo’s Michelangelo Dome

Italian defence company Leonardo has revealed plans for the ‘Michelangelo Dome’, an AI-powered shield designed to protect cities and critical infrastructure from missile attacks and drone swarms. The system will integrate multiple defence platforms and is expected to be fully operational by the end of the decade.

The project follows a surge in European defence spending amid geopolitical tensions and uncertainty over US support.

Leonardo’s CEO, Roberto Cingolani, highlighted the system’s open architecture, allowing compatibility with other nations’ defence networks and emphasising the need for innovation and international cooperation.

European defence companies are increasingly investing in integrated command systems rather than standalone hardware.

Private investors are also backing startups developing autonomous and AI-driven defence technologies, creating competition for traditional primes such as Leonardo, BAE Systems, Rheinmetall, and Thales.

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Asahi faces major disruption after cyberattack

Growing concern surrounds Asahi Group after the company acknowledged a possible leak of nearly two million personal records linked to a cyberattack that began in late September.

Company president Atsushi Katsuki apologised publicly and confirmed that operations remain heavily disrupted as logistics teams work towards full recovery by February.

Investigators found that attackers infiltrated network equipment at one of Asahi’s facilities, obtained administrator credentials and accessed servers repeatedly.

Atsushi Katsuki noted that the breach demonstrated significant vulnerabilities, although he stressed that improvements had already been implemented and no ransom had been paid.

Production and shipments across most domestic factories were halted, forcing employees to handle orders manually and slowing the resumption of supply lines.

Competitors Kirin, Suntory and Sapporo have struggled to meet unexpected demand, triggering shipping limits and suspensions on some products across the wider beer industry.

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Underground AI tools marketed for hacking raise alarms among cybersecurity experts

Cybersecurity researchers say cybercriminals are turning to a growing underground market of customised large language models designed to support low-level hacking tasks.

A new report from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 describes how dark web forums promote jailbroken, open-source and bespoke AI models as hacking assistants or dual-use penetration testing tools, often sold via monthly or annual subscriptions.

Some appear to be repurposed commercial models trained on malware datasets and maintained by active online communities.

These models help users scan for vulnerabilities, write scripts, encrypt or exfiltrate data and generate exploit or phishing code, tasks that can support both attackers and defenders.

Unit 42’s Andy Piazza compared them to earlier dual-use tools, such as Metasploit and Cobalt Strike, which were developed for security testing but are now widely abused by criminal groups. He warned that AI now plays a similar role, lowering the expertise needed to launch attacks.

One example is a new version of WormGPT, a jailbroken LLM that resurfaced on underground forums in September after first appearing in 2023.

The updated ‘WormGPT 4’ is marketed as an unrestricted hacking assistant, with lifetime access reportedly starting at around $220 and an option to buy the complete source code. Researchers say it signals a shift from simple jailbreaks to commercialised, specialised tools that train AI for cybercrime.

Another model, KawaiiGPT, is available for free on GitHub and brands itself as a playful ‘cyber pentesting’ companion while generating malicious content.

Unit 42 calls it an entry-level but effective malicious LLM, with a casual, friendly style that masks its purpose. Around 500 contributors support and update the project, making it easier for non-experts to use.

Piazza noted that internal tests suggest much of the malware generated by these tools remains detectable and less advanced than code seen in some recent AI-assisted campaigns. The wider concern, he said, is that such models make hacking more accessible by translating technical knowledge into simple prompts.

Users no longer need to know jargon like ‘lateral movement’ and can instead ask everyday questions, such as how to find other systems on a network, and receive ready-made scripts.

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