Researchers at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering discovered a system that could allow hackers to carry out cyberattacks, override security software and steal personal data by weaponizing artificial intelligence. The system, called “Ransomware 3.0,” was uploaded by Tandon researchers as a prototype to VirusTotal, an online service for security researchers to test malware. “‘Ransomware 3.0’ is the first to showcase an end-to-end automated large language model agent that executes the ransomware attack chain,” Tandon researcher Meet Udeshi told WSN. Using the system, researchers were able to map databases, identify files, steal and encrypt data and write threatening messages to victims. By utilizing AI, hackers will be able to easily communicate with more people and without as many technical resources.