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We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.Dark Reading Resource LibraryBlack Hat NewsOmdia CybersecurityAdvertiseNewsletter Sign-UpNewsletter Sign-UpCybersecurity TopicsRelated TopicsApplication SecurityCybersecurity CareersCloud SecurityCyber RiskCyberattacks & Data BreachesCybersecurity AnalyticsCybersecurity OperationsData PrivacyEndpoint SecurityICS/OT SecurityIdentity & Access Mgmt SecurityInsider ThreatsIoTMobile SecurityPerimeterPhysical SecurityRemote WorkforceThreat IntelligenceVulnerabilities & ThreatsRecent in Cybersecurity TopicsСloud SecurityHackers Use AI for Exploit Development, Attack AutomationHackers Use AI for Exploit Development, Attack AutomationbyAlexander CulafiMay 11, 20264 Min ReadСloud SecurityAfter Replacing TeamPCP Malware, 'PCPJack' Steals Cloud SecretsAfter Replacing TeamPCP Malware, 'PCPJack' Steals Cloud SecretsbyNate NelsonMay 7, 20265 Min ReadWorld Related TopicsDR GlobalMiddle East & AfricaAsia PacificLatin AmericaSee AllThe EdgeDR TechnologyEventsRelated TopicsUpcoming EventsPodcastsWebinarsSEE ALLResourcesRelated TopicsResource LibraryNewslettersPodcastsReportsVideosWebinarsWhite Papers Partner PerspectivesDark Reading Resource LibraryCyber RiskVulnerabilities & ThreatsICS/OT SecurityApplication SecurityNewsBreaking cybersecurity news, news analysis, commentary, and other content from around the world, with an initial focus on the Middle East & Africa and the Asia PacificClaude Mythos Fears Startle Japan's Financial Services SectorGlobal financial institutions are panicked over Anthropic's new superhacker AI model. Cyber experts aren't quite as worried.Nate Nelson,Contributing WriterApril 30, 20265 Min ReadSource: GK Images via Alamy Stock PhotoWhile the world waits to see if Anthropic's Mythos model is really as scary as people say it is, the financial services industry in Japan is establishing a task force dedicated to addressing the cyber threat it poses.On April 24, the people who manage the world's fourth largest economy — Japan's finance minister, the governor of its central bank, presidents of its three megabanks, and a senior executive of its stock exchange — gathered at the headquarters of Japan's Financial Service Agency in Tokyo. There, they agreed to form a working group to address the fact that artificial intelligence (AI) may now be able to totally undermine the systems underpinning their industry.According to Anthropic, during testing, the new Mythos model was able to identify previously unknown vulnerabilities in every browser and operating system (OS) it was presented with. It found both new and old issues — one that's lasted for 27 years, undetected until now — and in one case chained together four vulnerabilities in an exploit chain. It's little wonder, then, that in a press conference, finance minister Satsuki Katayama characterized the mere existence of Mythos as "a crisis that is already upon us." At the same event, one of those Japanese bank executives put it in more concrete terms, saying, "If we were hit by an attack and customer information were leaked, we might have no choice but to shut down our systems and conduct all transactions in cash."Related:Lotus Wiper Attack Targets Venezuelan Energy Firms, UtilitiesCybersecurity experts question whether Mythos really is such a crisis point. If it is, Japan and the rest of the world might be less equipped to handle it than the US. Though Anthropic met with Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on April 20, it has thus far restricted access to Mythos to a tight circle of organizations distributed unequally around the globe.Anthropic Gatekeeps its Tech From Global OrgsShort of not building it in the first place, Anthropic has taken the second most responsible precaution possible for Mythos, providing access to only a select circle of high-value organizations for cybersecurity purposes.Predictably, leaders of organizations not previously included in Anthropic's VIP list have been clamoring for access. In an interview with Reuters, for instance, a major regulator at Germany's central bank publicly pressured European banks to demand the same access afforded their American counterparts.Were Anthropic to give into access creep, it would expose Mythos to unauthorized access in proportion. Case in point: the Mythos inner circle has already been undermined by individuals linked to an Anthropic contractor, who used leaked information about the company's model naming conventions to simply guess its endpoint.Related:Cyberattacks Intensify Pressure on Latin American GovernmentsAlex Orleans, head of threat intelligence at Sublime Security, urges organizations to stop and think. "Most organizations seem to be experiencing some level of the Frankenstein reflex: Mythos as a capability feels new and frightening, which means everyone wants to get their hands on it. That doesn't mean everyone would know what to do with it or even necessarily need it to address their current threat models," he argues. For example, he adds, "You don't necessarily need access to Mythos to understand that its most direct implications are related to potential exploitation of extant perimeter assets or vulnerability identification when it comes to in-development products."Proofpoint CSO Ryan Kalember suggests an even simpler resolution: Instead of worrying about who can and can't touch Mythos, he says, "I think this gets solved on its own, because the other models will catch up."Anthropic could not immediately be reached for comment on this story.How Serious a Threat is Mythos?Few industries stand to lose more from cyber insecurities than the financial sector. The global financial system is buoyed only by the trust that the public has in institutions. Almost everything about that system — from the money supply at large, to the single number that represents your personal net worth — is little more than data recorded in systems protected by cybersecurity defenses.Related:Middle East Conflict Highlights Cloud Resilience Gaps"Banks have some of the most capable cybersecurity teams on the planet, and they have tended to not have a shortage of tools or capabilities," Kalember says, acknowledging that the financial sector is unusually exposed to large-scale, long-tail risks. Using the US electric grid as a counterexample, he says, "The reason some critical infrastructure is not at greater risk is sometimes not even a technology question at all. It's that all of this stuff is done municipally, or at a county level, or at a state level, or in some weird structure that actually makes the system very resilient, almost by an accident of its design. Banks are really not that way. There's been tremendous consolidation in the financial sector, so it actually makes a ton of sense to work on making sure that they can be as protected as possible."Even with that being said, he suggests that organizations not overblow the Mythos threat. "I think there was a lot of excitement about the ability that Mythos had to do bug chaining, and to find some [weaknesses] that had not been really looked at for a while. But we're not seeing EternalBlue or world-melting vulnerabilities fall out of it. And we are seeing lots and lots of similar vulnerabilities found by other models."Even if Mythos does unearth some huge number of CVEs, "I remember the days not that long ago where you'd see exploits in targeted attacks all the time," he says. "The data right now is that in targeted attacks, we're seeing two total CVEs being exploited, and they're not ones that Mythos found. The vast, vast, vast majority of successful cyberattacks do not involve an exploit because the attacker doesn't need the exploit, not because the exploit doesn't exist."Lastly, with regard to Japan's financial sector, Kalember adds, "Japanese banks historically do not run a ton of open source (OSS). They have also, historically, not had their source code out there. I know a lot of people at banks that have access to [advanced tools], and they're scanning their own applications and obviously trying to patch as quickly as possible."Read more about:DR Global Asia PacificAbout the AuthorNate NelsonContributing WriterNate Nelson is a journalist and scriptwriter. He writes for "Darknet Diaries" — the most popular podcast in cybersecurity — and co-created the former Top 20 tech podcast "Malicious Life." 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Anthropic’s new AI model, Mythos, is generating significant concern within Japan’s financial services sector, prompting a rapid response from key government and industry stakeholders. Contributing writer Nate Nelson reports that the Japanese finance minister, governor of the central bank, presidents of the nation’s three megabanks, and a senior executive of the stock exchange have formed a working group to address the potential cyber threat posed by Mythos. The core of the concern stems from Anthropic’s claims that Mythos possesses the ability to identify previously unknown vulnerabilities across various operating systems and web browsers, including a 27-year-old persistent issue. This capability has resulted in a declared “crisis” by finance minister Satsuki Katayama, with one bank executive suggesting a potential shutdown of systems and transaction shifts to cash if a breach were to occur. The response highlights a heightened awareness of the risks associated with advanced AI models capable of sophisticated vulnerability discovery.

Anthropic’s decision to restrict access to Mythos to a select group of organizations globally underscores the sensitivities surrounding its capabilities. This gatekeeping approach has fueled demands from organizations outside this initial group, including pressure from regulatory bodies like Germany’s central bank, for equal access. This situation highlights potential challenges for global cybersecurity collaboration and the equitable distribution of innovative technologies. Nate Nelson, head of threat intelligence at Sublime Security, cautions against overreacting, noting that the initial excitement surrounding Mythos’s bug-chaining abilities hasn't translated into widespread exploitation, and that existing vulnerabilities likely remain the primary attack vectors.

Ryan Kalember, CSO at Proofpoint, suggests that the industry’s response will likely resolve itself, as other AI models will inevitably catch up in capability. Kalember emphasizes the inherent resilience of the Japanese banking sector, noting its historically conservative approach to open-source software and secure coding practices. He argues that the financial sector’s structure—characterized by consolidation and a localized reliance on infrastructure—mitigates the potential risk posed by a single, highly capable AI model. However, he acknowledges the heightened exposure due to the sector's concentration of data and the need for robust defenses, particularly given the potential for long-tail vulnerabilities to emerge. The situation underscores the broader challenges facing critical infrastructure sectors globally, highlighting the importance of proactive risk management and continuous monitoring. The financial sector's reliance on trust and data makes it uniquely vulnerable to cyber incidents, and Japan's swift response demonstrates the urgency in addressing these vulnerabilities.