Cyber Security for a New Age - How AI is Shaping the New Era of Cyber Threats and Defence
Bringing to an end our Cyber Security Awareness Month campaign here at PureCyber; having previously looked at tried & tested cyber security basics, cyber vigilance vs paranoia, and phishing awareness, we’re ending this month’s campaign by taking a look at one of the hottest topics in the tech and cyber world…Artificial Intelligence.
The AI Effect - What is Artificial Intelligence & How is AI impacting the world of cyber security
Artificial Intelligence essentially refers to the science behind machine learning. This is when machines exhibit signs of human-like thinking and intelligence, with an aim to produce rapid efficiency in conducting these functions.
The rapid adoption of AI technology in businesses across many of the world’s largest sectors has changed the way businesses operate not only with their customers but also with the barrage of cyber threats that they encounter and navigate on a daily basis. AI has been a game changer in cybersecurity for both attackers and businesses trying to defend from threats.
Around 78% of surveyed leaders have increased their investment in generative AI (GenAI) over the past year, with 72% boosting their risk management spending on AI governance. This trend coincides with two-thirds of security leaders reporting that GenAI has expanded the cyber-attack surface in the last year, surpassing other technologies like cloud computing. Our founder and CEO, Damon Rands spoke about the increased focus and investment on generative AI in a recent WIRED interview after PureCyber was recently named as one of the WIRED Trailblazers.
“while generative AI is great for tasks that involve creating content—and I use that phrase very broadly—it’s not the be-all-and-end-all for professional services. Conventional machine learning is going to remain absolutely vital and will continue to have a major impact. It is ideally suited to recognizing patterns and making predictions and decisions based on known factors in a way that generative AI is not. And for a lot of businesses, that is essential to automating tasks and making systems more effective”
Damon Rands, CEO of PureCyber
Newer and more sophisticated cyber-attack methods are; with the help of AI, being formulated and introduced with the aim of catching organisations off-guard and bypassing existing cyber security measures. These AI fuelled advancements also have the reverse effect however, allowing cybersecurity operations to be fine-tuned and automated like never before. In essence, AI has provided advantages for both attacking and defending the digital assets of a business and as such it is a tool that both sides of the cyber world will continue to utilise as AI technology improves and becomes more effective.
How can AI support Cyber Security efforts?
There are several way’s AI is beginning to support cyber security efforts and making it easier for organisations to protect themselves and their customers, including:
Detecting attacks – The core way in which AI can protect businesses is by detecting potential incoming attacks through pattern analysis and identifying anomalies in data and user behaviours.
Predicting attacks – AI can analyse large amounts of data and attempt to prevent attacks before they happen.
Improving incident response – AI can provide incident response recommendations and enable autonomous mitigation processes to speed up cyber incident response and recovery.
Authentication advancements – Tools such as CAPTCHA, facial recognition and fingerprint scanners are currently being widely utilised to detect and verify genuine login attempts.
Phishing detection and prevention – AI can analyse the content and context of emails to identify a potential phishing message.
Identifying and patching potential zero-day vulnerabilities – AI can scan for potentially unknown vulnerabilities in a network before developers would have otherwise found it.
What challenges will AI present for Cyber Security
It is expected that AI will almost certainly increase the volume, and heighten the impact of cyber-attacks over the next 2 years. Future cyber incidents will likely be greater in impact due to attackers’ ability to use AI to quickly analyse and extrapolate key information from large amounts of exfiltrated data faster than ever before.
There is also greater opportunity for malicious intention, with AI tools providing a doorway for new, less skilled and inexperienced cyber criminals to enter the world of cybercrime. This enhanced access for potential threat actors will inevitably lead to cyber security organisations and their clients having to scale up their cybersecurity efforts as AI becomes more mainstream and sophisticated. AI-powered phishing has emerged as a new form of cyber-crime, making it easier for cybercriminals to create even more convincing mass phishing attacks.
The risks can even come from less obvious threats that businesses interact with and use daily. In particular is the risk associated with the popularity and common use of ChatGPT and other generative AI models, which can lead to leaked confidential data if not utilised and navigated safely. Cyber security experts have become increasingly concerned about the psychology associated with generative AI models such as ChatGPT, specifically due to the familiar, human-like, conversational tone of the AI system, that could lead users into a false sense of security, causing a lowering of usual cyber security standards.
How can PureCyber Help?
Our dedicated team of cyber security and compliance experts are available to help secure your organisation and provide a bespoke, tailor-made cyber security service. Our service subscriptions offer a range of cyber security solutions for organisations of all sizes and scopes. From vulnerability scanning to penetration testing, incident response and active threat detection, our cyber solutions ensure you can operate safely and securely with reassurance that your business, employees and customers are safe from cyber threats.
Need a refresh? No matter what level of cyber security knowledge you have, it is always valuable to refresh your understanding of terms, topics and techniques. Our PureCyber glossary of terms is the perfect place to brush up on your understanding.