AI-enabled social engineering attack on Greek national security official
Advanced AI was used in a social engineering attack that deceived Greece's national security advisor into a fraudulent phone call with Russian pranksters impersonating Ukraine's security advisor. The Greek government confirmed the attack but stated no classified information was compromised.
What happened
A hybrid attack using advanced AI technology penetrated the security protocols of Greek national security communications, according to government sources. Thanos Dokos, the general secretary of national security, was deceived into a conversation he believed was with Rustem Umerov, national security advisor of Ukraine, but was actually with Russian pranksters known as Vovan & Lexus.
Reported impact
Government sources stated that no confidential or classified information was leaked during the conversation. The attackers published a video of the call in which Dokos discussed concerns about potential drone incidents in Greek waters during the tourism season and Greece's upcoming elections.
Index analysis
Similar attacks have been recorded in the past against senior European officials, according to government sources. A security communications upgrade programme is already underway to address increasing challenges in an evolving hybrid attack environment.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.