By Sead Fadilpašić
Skip to main content
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming
Tech Radar Pro
TechRadar the business technology experts
Search TechRadar
View Profile
België (Nederlands)
Deutschland
North America
US (English)
Australasia
New Zealand
Expert Insights
Website builders
Web hosting
Best website builder
Best web hosting
Best office chairs
Best antivirus
Expert Insights
Recommended reading
AI is rewriting the ransomware playbook – can businesses keep up?
Agentic AI and ransomware: get ready for the next threat evolution
How emerging ransomware trends can help inform payment decisions
AI in cybersecurity: Raider or Guardian?
Companies are increasingly using AI for cybersecurity protection – now will it work?
Watch out AI fans – cybercriminals are using jailbroken Mistral and Grok tools to build powerful new malware
AI powering a “dramatic surge” in cyberthreats as automated scans hit 36,000 per second
The AI-powered future of ransomware is coming soon – here’s what we need to look out for
Sead Fadilpašić
3 July 2025
More and more ransomware code is being written by AI
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Image Credit: Pixabay
(Image credit: Pixabay)
Kaspersky recently analyzed FunkSec, a new ransomware group
This group uses AI to generate code in the encryptors and other tools
Ransomware is steadily growing as a threat
The future of ransomware threats lies in Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), as hackers are increasingly using the nascent technology to improve and streamline their coding processes, experts have warned.
The latest State of Ransomware report from Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) analyzed FunkSec, a relatively new ransomware group, first spotted in late 2024.
Despite its junior status, FunkSec already made a name for itself, “quickly surpassing many established actors by targeting government, technology, finance and education sectors across Europe and Asia,” Kaspersky said.
You may like
AI is rewriting the ransomware playbook – can businesses keep up?
Agentic AI and ransomware: get ready for the next threat evolution
How emerging ransomware trends can help inform payment decisions
Get 55% off Incogni’s Data Removal service with code TECHRADAR
Wipe your personal data off the internet with the Incogni data removal service. Stop identity thieves
and protect your privacy from unwanted spam and scam calls.
Lowering the barrier for entry
Analyzing the code in its products, the researchers determined that the group is actively using GenAI.
Telltale signs include generic placeholder comments (for example “placeholder for actual check”) and technical inconsistencies (commands for different operating systems that don’t align), they said.
Furthermore, they observed declared but unused functions such as modules included upfront but never utilized, which is something large language models are apparently used to doing.
“More and more, we see cybercriminals leveraging AI to develop malicious tools. Generative AI lowers barriers and accelerates malware creation, enabling cybercriminals to adapt their tactics faster. By reducing the entry threshold, AI allows even less experienced attackers to quickly develop sophisticated malware at scale,” said Marc Rivero, Lead Security Researcher at Kaspersky’s GReAT.
Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
AI-powered attacks will probably require AI-powered defenses, as well. Today, many of the best antivirus and endpoint protection services use AI and machine learning, mostly to detect threats that traditional signature-based methods would miss.
Companies like CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Sophos, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Palo Alto Networks, and many others, are vocal about their AI/ML capabilities, often emphasizing speed, accuracy, and lower false positives compared to legacy solutions.
In this report, Kaspersky recommended users enable ransomware protection for all endpoints, keep everything updated, and focus defense strategies on detecting lateral movements and data exfiltration, among other things.
You might also like
One of the most powerful ransomware hacks around has been cracked using some serious GPU power
Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
We’ve rounded up the best password managers
Sead Fadilpašić
Social Links Navigation
Sead is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He writes about IT (cloud, IoT, 5G, VPN) and cybersecurity (ransomware, data breaches, laws and regulations). In his career, spanning more than a decade, he’s written for numerous media outlets, including Al Jazeera Balkans. He’s also held several modules on content writing for Represent Communications.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
AI is rewriting the ransomware playbook – can businesses keep up?
Agentic AI and ransomware: get ready for the next threat evolution
How emerging ransomware trends can help inform payment decisions
AI in cybersecurity: Raider or Guardian?
Companies are increasingly using AI for cybersecurity protection – now will it work?
Watch out AI fans – cybercriminals are using jailbroken Mistral and Grok tools to build powerful new malware
Latest in Security
Cisco warns of a serious security flaw in comms platform – and that it needs patching immediately
Google has patched another urgent security flaw in Chrome – so update now or be at risk
Security experts flag another worrying issue with Anthropic AI systems – here’s what they found
Insurance group Kelly Benefits says over half a million people now affected in major data breach – here’s what we know
AT&T has a new tool to stop dangerous SIM swapping attacks – here’s how it will keep you safe
Qantas reveals massive data breach – 6 million customers possibly affected, here’s what we know
Latest in News
Gorgeous leaked photos give us our best look yet at the super-slim Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
Xbox cancels Perfect Dark, Everwild, and an unannounced online game amidst yet another round of mass layoffs
The PS5 lead architect says the PS5 Pro will get an advanced graphics update in 2026 that will deliver better performance
Cisco warns of a serious security flaw in comms platform – and that it needs patching immediately
‘It’s been an honor’: The Last of Us co-showrunner calls it quits before work gets underway on the hit HBO Max show’s third season
ChatGPT faceplants while translating Crunchyroll anime, and some viewers are demanding human localization
LATEST ARTICLES
This Netflix show with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes is back for season 2 today – here’s why you need to binge season 1 right away
Quick! Don’t miss this record-low Paramount+ deal to stream these 3 shows with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes
Xbox cancels Perfect Dark, Everwild, and an unannounced online game amidst yet another round of mass layoffs
Gorgeous leaked photos give us our best look yet at the super-slim Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
The PS5 lead architect says the PS5 Pro will get an advanced graphics update in 2026 that will deliver better performance
TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
Contact Future’s experts
Terms and conditions
Privacy policy
Cookies policy
Advertise with us
Web notifications
Accessibility Statement
Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street,
Please login or signup to comment
Please wait…