AI-driven attacks prompt Lithuanian organisations to strengthen cyber defences

LRT reported that Lithuania’s organisations are being urged to reassess their security processes and strengthen system protection as artificial intelligence tools advance and cyberattacks become more dynamic and sophisticated.

The National Crisis Management Centre said the number of detected software vulnerabilities has risen rapidly in recent years, while the time between identifying a vulnerability and its exploitation in cyberattacks is becoming shorter.

The centre said increasingly advanced AI tools were contributing to these changes by helping attackers identify system weaknesses more quickly and automate parts of their attacks.

“The cyber threat environment is changing. Artificial intelligence allows attackers to find weak points in systems more quickly and automate parts of attack processes,” Antanas Aleknavičius, director of the National Cyber Security Centre, was quoted as saying. He urged organisations to ensure continuous infrastructure monitoring, rapid response and consistent management of security processes alongside the implementation of security measures.

The National Cyber Security Centre recommends that organisations regularly update inventories of their systems, software, network services and internet-accessible resources. It also advises them to check systems for vulnerabilities, monitor information about security weaknesses and conduct periodic penetration testing.

To reduce the potential impact of incidents, organisations are advised to segment networks and information resources, regularly create and test backups, centrally monitor system activity and train employees to recognise phishing, including social engineering and fake video and audio recordings created with the help of AI.