National Cyber Security Centre Issues Warning About Potential Risks from ‘Prompt Injection’ Attacks

London, UK – The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has raised alarms over the increasing risk of cyberattacks targeting chatbots, warning that hackers could manipulate chatbot technology using “prompt injection” attacks. These attacks exploit the way chatbots interpret input prompts, potentially leading to data theft, scams, and other malicious activities.

The NCSC described prompt injection as a process where an attacker crafts specific inputs that deceive the chatbot into functioning in unintended ways. By manipulating the chatbot’s responses, cybercriminals could gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or cause harm to users.

Chatbots, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), are commonly used for handling customer queries in various sectors, including online banking, retail, and services. They are designed to replicate human-like interactions and can process large datasets to provide automated responses. However, the NCSC’s warning highlights that, while convenient, these tools are also vulnerable to exploitation.