Artificial intelligence (AI) is arguably the most disruptive technology today. In just a few short years, AI went from powering basic chatbots to closely mimicking human behaviour, reasoning, problem-solving, and language.
As such a powerful and readily available tech, it was only a matter of time before AI started making waves in the cybersecurity landscape.
Some are calling it the new era in cybersecurity. There’s a lot of talk about the immense devastation potential of intelligent malware. And how current security systems don’t stand a chance against AI-driven cyberattacks. But most of this is nothing but wild speculations and fearmongering.
That said, the risk of AI-based cyber threats is very real. For instance, in 2017, security researchers discovered a first-of-its-kind malware that used rudimentary machine learning to shapeshift and avoid detection.
AI and cybersecurity are two sides of the same coin. On one side, threat actors are actively trying to weaponize AI. On the other, we see the growing integration of AI cyber defences. And the good side seems to be winning, at least for now.
How Serious Is the AI Threat?
According to some experts, AI is lowering the barrier to entry for new threat actors. It’s also helping unsophisticated threat actors level up their malicious trade. In a recent survey, 75% of security professionals said they saw an increase in attacks over the past 12 months, and 85% of them attributed that rise to bad actors using generative AI.
AI introduces the possibilities of unique cyber threats too, such as:
- Automated malware – Large language models such as ChatGPT are pretty good at writing executable code. Threat actors could use such systems to scale up malware production.
- Cyber-attack optimization – Threat actors can use AI analytics to optimize attack strategies.
- Impersonation attacks – AI takes impersonation scams from simple text-based vectors to highly convincing multimedia vectors such as deep fakes, laying the groundwork for highly targeted and complex social engineering attacks.
- Adversarial AI – In theory, AI tools can be compromised and used for malice.
Fighting Back with AI
AI is not new to cybersecurity. Digital security experts started blending cybersecurity tools with AI and machine learning back in the early 2000s. Today, thanks to recent advancements, AI is commonplace in various aspects of cybersecurity, including:
- Cloud security – AI enhances cloud security by providing security visibility and insights across multiple hosted resources.
- Vulnerability assessment – Intelligent cybersecurity tools help pen testers and security teams scan websites, apps, networks, data centers, and IT processes for potentially exploitable risks and vulnerabilities.
- Threat detection – Using deep machine learning and analytics, AI-powered tools can quickly identify threats based on close observation rather than predefined markers.
- Endpoint security – AI is invaluable in monitoring and securing endpoint devices.
- Identity and access management – AI-based IAM systems authenticate users by analyzing their behaviour and activities.
- Incident response – AI analytical tools generate detailed and insightful incident reports, helping investigators track a threat’s source, intent, and exploit.
The Future of AI and Cybersecurity
AI technologies are getting better and better by the day. We should expect to see more AI-based threats and even more AI-based defences. The cybersecurity landscape has always been a never-ending game of Whac-A-Mole. As AI joins the arena, cybersecurity teams have new moles to whack and, crucially, better mallets and a stronger handle on the game.
For now, even with powerful AI, cybersecurity is still a hands-on effort. AI security tools alone are not advanced enough to take the wheel. We still need human intervention to guide AI and make sense of what it does.
Speaking of an expert guiding hand, Highway 99 is here to help you enhance your cybersecurity, from endpoint management to cloud security. Highway 99 is your trusted managed services provider committed to ensuring you get the best out of your IT.
Get started today with a free consultation.
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