As artificial intelligence (AI) and artificial general intelligence (AGI) continue to advance and transform industries, it is important for companies and society to consider the ethical and societal implications of their development and use. One potential concern is the potential for AI and AGI to be used for malicious purposes, such as in advanced cyberattacks.
In a recent scenario, a nation state actor targeted a big tech company by tampering with the production of blade servers that were ordered by the company. These servers were being used for the development of the first AGI serving humanity, making them a valuable target for the nation state actor. The nation state actor added in additional functionality to the servers, including a 5G receiver and extra datacomm capacity, and altered the span port with a bypass. This allowed the data communication to be broadcasted in a predetermined pattern, evading normal monitoring processes. As a result, the tampered servers acted as a digital insider threat, under the control of the nation state actor.
On a certain day, the nation state actor decided to destroy the evidence of their tampering by remotely activating a small explosive charge using the 5G connection. This caused a fire in the rack containing the servers, but the impact on the daily business operations of the big tech company was minimal due to smart segmenting and data clustering. However, the financial and legal implications for the company were significant, as the board may face consequences for failing to adequately vet the components in their data center, as required by the NIS EU Directive. There may also be reputational damage to the company as a result of the attack.
The attack on the big tech company followed a specific pattern, beginning with the supply chain tampering in the pre-attack phase. This was followed by the initial access phase, in which the nation state actor established a foothold within the company’s network and potentially exfiltrated sensitive data, including the source code for the AGI project. The execution phase involved the activation of the explosive charge in order to destroy the evidence, and the final phase was the impact on the big tech company, including financial and legal consequences.
In the aftermath of the attack, a forensic investigation was likely launched to determine the cause of the fire and identify the organizations involved. This process would involve examining the remains of the servers and analyzing any data that may have been recovered. It is likely that various organizations within the EU region, including law enforcement and cybersecurity experts, would be involved in the investigation.
As a board member, it is important to consider the potential consequences of AI and AGI on both the company and society. It is essential to implement proper safeguards and secure vetting processes to prevent malicious use of these technologies. Failure to do so could result in financial and legal repercussions, as well as reputational damage to the company. The development of the first AGI serving humanity is a significant milestone, but it is crucial to prioritize security and responsibility in its implementation.
