Proofpoint: TA419 posed as US AI experts to steal passwords
A Chinese hacker group called "TA419" has been pretending to be US AI experts in order to steal passwords, according to cybersecurity firm Proofpoint.
Since last year, they've targeted US think tanks, universities, and defense contractors by sending fake emails that look like they're from real people, like Lynne Parker, tricking recipients into giving up their passwords.
Under 10 AI policy experts targeted
The hackers went after fewer than 10 experts working on AI regulation and national strategy.
One former White House official who now heads the Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy, Alex Engler, got a phishing invite for a fake policy project.
Proofpoint believes the goal was more about spying on how the US shapes its AI policies than stealing tech secrets.
China has denied any involvement in these attacks.