AI helps spies nab sneaky Chinese hackers, claims NSA official

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies are helping US security agencies, including the National Security Agency (NSA), detect malicious Chinese cyber activity that might evade traditional defensive measures, according to Rob Joyce, the director of the NSA Cybersecurity Directorate. Joyce said that machine learning, AI, and big data help surface these activities, as the models are better at detecting anomalous behavior. Recent Chinese hacking operations do not rely on traditional or known malware, but instead exploit architecture implementation flaws, misconfigurations, or default passwords to gain access to networks. Joyce and his colleagues have been warning that China is aggressively targeting US critical infrastructure in an attempt to cause societal disruption and panic.