Cyberattacks using GenAI tech expected to increase next year

A government report revealed that cyberattacks involving generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) are predicted to increase in 2025. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT’s annual cybersecurity report, hacking groups are expected to increasingly use GenAI models like ChatGPT to craft targeted spear-phishing emails and create fake news for political manipulation.

The report highlights that it will become challenging to distinguish the authenticity of AI-generated content, which could rapidly spread across the internet and influence public opinion. This manipulation could potentially lead to social unrest and confusion.

The report also warned of a rise in blackmail using deepfake content, a concern that has already been seen in South Korea, with multiple deepfake-related sex crime cases earlier this year. As of October, authorities had apprehended 506 suspects involved in such cases.

Furthermore, the report predicts that state-sponsored hacking groups may intensify their activities next year, influenced by global political changes following the re-election of Donald Trump as U.S. president. The report suggests that shifts in U.S. policies toward easing regulations on technology and cryptocurrency industries could lead to more attacks targeting these sectors, including cryptocurrency exchanges and companies developing strategic technologies like AI and quantum computing.

This year, authorities also noted a rise in cyberattacks targeting software supply chains, using advanced ransomware and smishing tactics against the general public.