A new kind of cyber threat has emerged, and it’s unlike anything we’ve seen before. It’s called “PromptLock”, and it’s the first ransomware that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to build its attack as it goes. Think of it like a criminal who writes their own tools on the spot, using AI as their assistant.
What Makes PromptLock Different?
Traditional ransomware is like a pre-packed suitcase. It comes with all its malicious tools ready to go. But PromptLock is more like a DIY kit. It uses a local AI model (called gpt-oss:20b) to create custom attack scripts in real time. This means: It doesn’t carry all the harmful code upfront. Instead, it asks the AI to write the code when needed. It can adapt to different systems (Windows, Linux, macOS).
🔐 Why This Matters
This is a wake-up call. As AI becomes more powerful and easier to run locally (on personal machines), cybercriminals might start using it to create malware that’s harder to detect and stop.
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