It has never been easier to be a cybercriminal... AI gives hackers the tools, speed, and capacity to carry out larger attacks than what would have been previously possible.

The Next Phase of Cyberwarfare Is Here By Vic Lederman, publisher, Chaikin Analytics It has never been easier to be a cybercriminal... AI gives hackers the tools, speed, and capacity to carry out larger attacks than what would have been previously possible. Now, you might think it would still require a deep knowledge of computers and networks to use these tools... But that couldn't be further from the truth. AI tools lower or even remove the knowledge barrier needed to pull off complex cyberattacks. Criminals are increasingly using AI to mimic your loved ones' images and voices. And they use these "deep fakes" to drain victims of their hard-earned money. Of course, it would be comforting to think that all AI hacking tools are purpose-made and sold on illegal markets. But again, that wouldn't be true. In fact, a specific tool favored by hackers may also be your favorite chatbot... 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Just recently, this feature sparked a feud between Anthropic and a titan of the tech industry.  But Claude is capable of more than writing code for apps and websites. It also allowed a hacker to breach a foreign government's network... and steal sensitive data.  A hacker recently convinced Claude to breach Mexico's federal tax authority and national electoral institute. A few Mexican states also had their utility and civil registry broken into. The hacker proceeded to steal 150 gigabytes of government data. Among those were the documents of 195 million taxpayer and voter records. Mexico has a population of more than 132 million. That means the hacker could have stolen records for everyone living in the country... and some deceased ones as well. Now, Claude supposedly warned the hacker that their actions were malicious. But the hacker convinced Claude to carry out the attack anyway. Claude wasn't able to do this entirely alone, though... When that AI model hit a snag, the hacker turned to OpenAI's ChatGPT. This AI model produced detailed reports on how to move through networks undetected. It even produced in-depth plans that were "ready to execute" by the hacker. And that's not all... Last year, Anthropic noticed that a Chinese group tricked Claude into attacking 30 global targets. These targets included tech companies, financial institutions, and even government agencies. Anthropic said with "high confidence" that the group was "state sponsored." And as the company stated in a post on its website... We believe this is the first documented case of a large-scale cyberattack executed without substantial human intervention. The model succeeded in a few cases before Anthropic shut it down. Meanwhile, Amazon (AMZN) said in a recent blog post that it saw a Russian-speaking "threat actor" infiltrate more than 600 firewall devices across more than 55 different countries. As the post also stated...   They are likely a financially motivated individual or small group who, through AI augmentation, achieved an operational scale that would have previously required a significantly larger and more skilled team. Put simply, that means an average citizen – or a group of citizens. And they didn't need a deep knowledge of computers. Folks, this is a terrifying concept. But you'll see it goes much deeper than simple rogue hacker groups... AI Companies Blur the Lines Between the Tech and Defense Industry We know that AI is more than just a tool. And it's much more than just a chatbot. As these AI models grow and gain knowledge, they become weapons as well. We've seen just how interconnected our world has become in the past few decades... And governments know that it takes more than sheer physical firepower to win wars. As AI evolves, we'll surely see it become increasingly part of combat dominance – in both physical and digital battlegrounds. In fact, Anthropic recently allowed the U.S. government to use its AI systems for missile and cyber-defense purposes... Of course, the Pentagon wants more... As NBC News reported earlier this week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had told Anthropic to allow its AI tech to be used for all legal military purposes. And if it didn't comply, the company would be forced to cooperate. This is more than just a wild conspiracy theory. And the AI boom isn't just about chatbots and personal assistants. It's a literal arms race. Good investing, Vic Lederman   Market View Major Indexes and Notable Sectors     # Hld:     Bullish     Neutral     Bearish Dow 30 +0.01% 7 19 4 S&P 500 -0.56% 131 281 86 Nasdaq -1.21% 25 48 27 Small Caps +0.53% 618 936 332 Bonds +0.4% Financial +1.21% 22 40 14 — According to the Chaikin Power Bar, Small Cap stocks and Large Cap stocks are Bullish. Major indexes are mixed. *  *  *  * Sector Tracker Sector movement over the last 5 days Utilities +2.32% Communication +1.37% Consumer Staples +1.36% Real Estate +1.0% Consumer Discretionary +0.7% Financial +0.67% Information Technology +0.57% Materials +0.32% Industrials +0.2% Health Care +0.1% Energy -0.24% *  *  *  * Industry Focus Oil & Gas Equipment Services 23 6 1 Over the past 6 months, the Oil & Gas Equipment Services subsector (XES) has outperformed the S&P 500 by +57.08%. Its Power Bar ratio, which measures future potential, is Very Strong, with more Bullish than Bearish stocks. It is currently ranked #2 of 21 subsectors. Top Stocks HLX Helix Energy Solutio XPRO Expro Group Holdings HAL Halliburton Company *  *  *  * Top Movers Gainers PSKY +10.04% GDDY +8.95% SJM +8.82% ACN +8.29% TKO +8.01% Losers UHS -11.44% EME -6.94% GLW -6.31% ALB -5.59% NVDA -5.46% *  *  *  * Earnings Report Reporting Today Rating Before Open After Close Earnings Surprises WBD Warner Bros. 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