AI‑Powered Worms Could Hijack Your Gadgets – What You Can Do to Stay Safe

In June, researchers at the University of Toronto, led by Nicolas Papernot, showed that publicly available AI models can power a worm that adapts its attack as it spreads between devices such as laptops, printers and cameras.

The AI‑driven worm collects data from every device it compromises. By analysing passwords, settings and other weak points, it customises its next attack, learning and evolving faster than security patches can be released.

Papernot and his team urge the public to use strong, unique passwords, enable multi‑factor authentication, and promptly install software updates. They stress that sloppy cybersecurity habits make the worm far more effective.

Samir Chhabra, director general of marketplace framework policy at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, said the worm runs on compute stolen from its victims, which essentially makes the cost of each new attack a marginal cost, essentially zero.

A Canadian survey by the Communications Security Establishment found 87% of respondents regularly update software and 77% use complex passwords, but only 31% always use a unique password. The gap shows many users still reuse passwords across services.

For everyday users, the threat means that a single insecure device – a printer, a webcam or a laptop – could become a launchpad for a self‑learning worm. Protecting yourself now means choosing a different, strong password for each account, turning on MFA wherever possible, and installing updates as soon as they appear.

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