His strategy in Europe and Spain speaks directly to governments

As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms the digital world, so do those who seek to take advantage of it for malicious purposes. Europe, According to MicrosoftIt is low Increasing pressure of attacks Orchestrated by state actors and criminal gangs that no longer operate alone: ​​they rely on AI tools to improve their tactics. Given this new reality, the company has launched a cybersecurity program without cost to European governments, with a clear objective: reinforce the defenses of the continent.

The radiography offered by the Redmond giant about the situation in the old continent is clear: the number of attacks does not cease to increase and its complexity as well. The most frequent threats come from groups linked to governments such as those of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, with objectives ranging from the theft of credentials and infiltration in corporate networks to the manipulation of public opinion through digital disinformation.

According to the company, many of these actors have incorporated AI techniques to refine their campaigns: from automated vulnerabilities recognition to the creation of false content with Deepfakes. In parallel, criminal gangs also evolve. The appearance of platforms of ‘Ransomware as a service‘And forums with instructions to operate complex attacks has democratized access to dangerous tools, amplifying the risk throughout the continent.

Microsoft’s proposal: a European cybersecurity program, free and based on AI

In response, Microsoft has launched the European Security Programan initiative that offers without cost to all European governments, including the 27 EU member states, the countries in the process of adhesion, the United Kingdom, Monaco, the Vatican and the members of the EFTA. It is not clear how many countries have decided to join at the time of publishing this article, but the company states that the objective is to strengthen cyber -defense from three fronts:

1. Share intelligence on threats based on AI with governments, adjusted to each country and, when possible, in real time.
2. Increase investment in capacity and resilience, including training, technological development and support for NGOs.
3. Expand alliances with police and operators to interrupt criminal networks and cyber attacks before they climb.

According to official information, the initiative implies the delivery of personalized intelligence to each country, the expansion of access to the Cybercrime Threat Intelligence Program and frequent updates on foreign influence operations. Priority communication is also included on Vulnerabilities detected and technical orientation to mitigate them. Each participating government will have a direct interlocutor in Microsoft to expedite coordination.

In addition, the company details that collaborates with Europol in its European Cybercrime Center in The Hague. Also, in the technological level, there are also concrete actions. Microsoft has launched a fund to protect strategic Open Source projects (such as Log4j) and develop advanced security tools with the British laboratory Lasr.

The rise of agents of ia also worries outside Microsoft

The use of artificial intelligence in the field of cybersecurity not only worries Microsoft. Several researchers and signatures in the sector, such as Trend Micro or Malwarebytes, warn of an emerging stage in which Autonomous ia agents They could become especially effective attack tools.

Although today a wave of cyber attacks fully executed by agents have been detected, some laboratories have already begun to identify their first real incursions. Palisade Research team, for example, has built a honeypot specifically designed to detect AI agents activity. And they have achieved it: they have registered millions of access attempts and have confirmed the presence of at least two agents.

It is not just attacks aimed at governments or infrastructure. According to a study published in Harvard Business Review By researchers from Harvard, MIT and the World Economic Forum, the generative AI is also transforming mass attacks like him Phishing. And it does it by reducing its cost more than 95 % and maintaining its success rate.

Experts point out that language models such as GPT-4 They allow completely automating the phishing cycle, from the choice of objectives to the writing of convincing emails. In their experiments, 60 % of users fell into traps generated by AI, a percentage comparable to that of messages created by human experts.

This perspective fits with the reading made by Microsoft about the role of AI in current threats, but also reveals that concern is shared by researchers, academics and actors in the sector who are developing specific detection systems to prevent these agents from going unnoticed.

Europe is already taking action

The launch of this program does not happen in a vacuum. The European Union has been strengthening its response from digital threats, with initiatives that seek to raise the level of protection both in public administrations and in the private sector. In turn, many countries are implementing their own plans to shield themselves.

Spain, for example, has become one of the great objectives of cybercrime: it is the second most attacked country in the world, According to Secure & It. In this context, the government is promoting a millionaire investment To create a “digital shield” that reinforces the country’s defenses. We need to see what role the European Security Program of Microsoft will play within this panorama. At the moment, it is a voluntary, but ambitious initiative.

Cover image | Lukas s + Freepik With Photoshop

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