TZUTC: -0500   
   MSGID: 438.consprcy@1:2320/105 2c36c9b0   
   PID: Synchronet 3.20a-Linux master/acc19483f Apr 26 202 GCC 12.2.0   
   TID: SBBSecho 3.20-Linux master/acc19483f Apr 26 2024 23:04 GCC 12.2.0   
   BBSID: CAPCITY2   
   CHRS: ASCII 1   
   Nation-state threats are targeting UK AI research   
      
   Date:   
   Tue, 11 Mar 2025 13:58:54 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   Urgent action is needed to secure the research ecosystem, Alan Turing   
   Institute warns.   
      
   FULL STORY   
   ======================================================================   
    - The Alan Turing Institute has outlined recommendations to protect UK AI   
   research   
    - Nation-state threat actors pose a serious risk to the UK's AI development   
    - Universities are increasingly targeted, so need to up protection   
      
   The Alan Turing Institute has issued a report warning urgent action is needed   
   to protect the UKs world leading AI research ecosystem.    
      
   An urgent, coordinated response from the UK Government and higher education   
   institutions is needed, the report says, to develop protections for the   
   research sector. This includes recommendations to create a classified mapping   
   of the AI higher education research ecosystem, and provide guidance to   
   universities.    
      
   Higher education institutions in the UK are increasingly targeted by threat   
   actors, with almost half experiencing a cyberattack every week . The report   
   confirms that nation-based actors have been discovered using espionage,    
   theft, and duplicitous collaboration to try and keep pace with the UKs   
   research and development.   
      
   Culture change    
      
   The rapid development of AI research makes it vulnerable to nation-backed   
   threat actors looking to steal intellectual property, and using it for   
   malicious purposes.    
      
   Concerns were raised about hostile states potentially gaining access to the   
   dual-use nature of the technology, meaning that the tool can be repurposed or   
   reverse engineered to be used for malicious activity, such as defence tools   
   being converted to help attackers.    
      
   The report outlines a need for a change in culture to focus on building risk   
   awareness and security-mindedness, and encouraging "consistent compliance    
   with guidelines and best practice.    
      
   The research also wants to address the UK's AI skills gap by ensuring    
   domestic talent is retained, and delivering research security training for   
   staff and research students. Research intensive universities are also advised   
   to set up research scrutiny committees in order to support risk assessments   
   for AI researchers.    
      
   Furthering AI research is rightly a top priority for the UK, but the   
   accompanying security risks cannot be ignored as the world around us grows   
   ever more volatile, says Megan Hughes , Research Associate at the Alan Turing   
   institute.    
      
   Academia and the government must commit to and support this long overdue   
   culture change to strike the right balance between academic freedom and   
   protecting this vital asset.   
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/nation-state-threats-are-targeting-uk-a   
   i-research   
      
   $$   
   --- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux   
    * Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (1:2320/105)   
   SEEN-BY: 105/81 106/201 128/187 129/305 153/7715 154/110 218/700 226/30   
   SEEN-BY: 227/114 229/110 111 114 206 300 307 317 400 426 428 470 664   
   SEEN-BY: 229/700 705 266/512 291/111 320/219 322/757 342/200 396/45   
   SEEN-BY: 460/58 712/848 902/26 2320/0 105 3634/12 5075/35   
   PATH: 2320/105 229/426