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The Myth of AI-Powered Ransomware

The Myth of AI-Powered Ransomware

Shift Change: The Idaho Manufacturing Podcast
16 min
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Recent claims that 80% of ransomware is AI-powered have been debunked by cybersecurity experts as "baseless" and a product of "academic malpractice" that mislabels basic automation, such as random number generators, as true artificial intelligence. While AI is increasingly used as a tool to "supercharge" attacks through faster reconnaissance and more convincing phishing, the sources indicate there is no reliable evidence that most malware currently operates autonomously. This distinction is critical for manufacturing environments, where attackers use automated scripts to relentlessly probe for vulnerabilities in legacy systems and remote access tools. Consequently, IT companies like TotalCare IT have moved to correct misinformation and urge organizations to focus on fundamental security layers, such as Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and system patching, rather than getting distracted by "sci-fi" narratives.