300 children die daily due to poor healthcare: Mus…

SEOUL: A North Korean-linked hacking group has reportedly expanded its use of artificial intelligence to strengthen cyberattacks, automate operations and analyse stolen data. The group, identified as Kimsuky, has developed and collected a range of AI-related tools that could help its operators conduct attacks more efficiently, according to a South Korean cybersecurity company. The company said it discovered infrastructure linked to Kimsuky containing several programs designed to run and manage artificial intelligence models locally. These included Ollama, GPT4All and Msty. The hackers also appeared to be using retrieval-augmented generation technology. The system can help AI models search and process large collections of documents. Researchers said the use of locally operated AI models could allow the group to analyse sensitive information without sending data to external AI services. This could give hackers greater control over stolen material and reduce their reliance on third-party platforms. The investigation also uncovered AI agent development frameworks, speech-to-text software and an AI-assisted coding tool called Cursor. According to the cybersecurity firm, the findings indicate that Kimsuky may be moving beyond the simple use of generative AI for creating phishing messages. The group could now be seeking to integrate existing AI models into different stages of its cyber operations. These may include malware development, stolen-data analysis and attack automation. Researchers also identified documents related to finance and cryptocurrency on the infrastructure. Some of the files appeared to have been generated using artificial intelligence. The documents were designed to look like legitimate investment reports and other professional workplace material. Such files could potentially be used as decoys or to make malicious campaigns appear more credible. The findings have not been independently verified. However, cybersecurity researchers and government agencies have repeatedly linked North Korean state-backed groups to international cyber operations. North Korean cyber units have been accused of conducting espionage campaigns, stealing money and targeting cryptocurrency-related assets. Authorities in the United States and South Korea have previously warned about the activities of such groups. Kimsuky has long been associated with cyber-espionage operations targeting governments, organisations and individuals. The group has also been accused of gathering intelligence to support North Korea’s strategic interests. The latest findings point to a growing role for artificial intelligence in cyber operations. Security researchers have warned that AI tools can make phishing campaigns more convincing and help attackers process information and develop malicious software more quickly.

Three Greek firefighters have lost their lives whilst tackling aggressive wildfires on the island of Crete and the southern mainland, as an unprecedented surge of summer heatwaves continues to fuel devastating blazes across southern Europe. The relentless arc of fires, stretching from the Atlantic coast to the eastern Mediterranean, has forced over three hundred and thirty thousand people to evacuate their homes and hotels. Firefighting services across the continent remain pushed to their absolute limits as high temperatures, prolonged drought, and powerful wind gusts exacerbate the risk of fresh outbreaks and reignite previously stabilised zones. In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the national government had taken over disaster management after a massive wildfire near Madrid reached an unprecedented operational emergency level before ground crews managed to stabilise its perimeter. Meanwhile, French emergency services in the Gironde region continue to battle historical forest fires that have scorched over forty-four thousand hectares of land and injured more than a hundred firefighters. As the European Union coordinates extensive international aid, deploying aircraft, specialised vehicles, and emergency personnel from member states including Poland, Romania, and Portugal, climate experts and EU officials warn that rising global temperatures are making European fire seasons longer, hotter, and increasingly difficult to contain.