AI tools fuel cybercrime as risks rise in Latvia

Cyber incidents in Latvia are increasing, and artificial intelligence is making criminal activity easier and faster, LSM reports. CERT.lv, Latvia’s information technology security incident response institution, says incidents have risen this year and are expected to continue growing in the coming months.

Latvian and international cybersecurity experts said at the CyberChess international conference in Riga that both scammers and state-sponsored criminal groups are increasingly automating their operations. They also warned that the public does not yet fully understand the risks posed by artificial intelligence.

Digitalising devices and processes can make daily life more convenient, but inadequate security may give attackers access to personal data, bank accounts and other sensitive information. CERT.lv analyst Dana Ludviga warned that devices in Latvia can also be used as a route to attack government institutions.

CERT.lv detected nearly 2 million at-risk devices in the first nine months of this year, 121% more than in the same period last year.

Criminals use widely available artificial intelligence tools to generate more convincing messages, analyse information shared publicly and identify vulnerabilities. Romance scams are among the common forms of cybercrime, and the article says AI technologies are used in nearly all such schemes.