The Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD) has found malware on the armed forces' computer system. The malware used by the cybercriminals is highly sophisticated. It proves that state actors have the most sophisticated tools at their disposal to carry out cyber attacks.
In this attack, the cybercriminals used a highly customised piece of malware that was probably intended for only a limited number of targets. Interestingly, the malware exploited an old, widely known vulnerability that will never have been widely used before.
This means that the malware will be very difficult for traditional security tools to detect and, if they succeed at all, will take a very long time to do so. Many traditional security tools work on the basis of rules created from data known about cyber attacks that have taken place before. These models fall short when they encounter something they have not seen before.
Self-learning artificial intelligence (AI) is another approach to building security tools: it is deployed to understand what isffrom state actors normal behaviour of an organisation as a whole. And therefore also what deviant behaviour is. Self-learning AI can also immediately detect and stop previously unpatched malware before it has done any damage.
As cyber attacks become increasingly unique and complex, companies need to rely on tools that work based on self-learning AI. This is the only way they can protect their critical data and prevent financial and reputational damage.
