AI and Cybersecurity: The Threats and Opportunities

One thing that is certain in the technological world today is that artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay. As new AI-based technologies are developed and explored, both by individuals and businesses, the number of cybersecurity risks to consider increases. This is due to the sheer power of AI – to lots of malevolent actors, AI is simply a tool to cause more havoc and harm to their targets.

However, for businesses, AI also provides a powerful opportunity to get ahead of those same people. That’s why in this article, we’re going to explain everything that you need to know regarding AI and cybersecurity.

The Rise of AI in 2023

Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has taken the world by storm, with new AI technologies like ChatGPT and Midjourney providing revolutionary services with a simple entry of a prompt. With this, though, comes a question of ethics and morality. When it comes to security and business, AI has given a tremendous amount of power to further allow malicious threats to engineer their way to disrupt and devastate individuals and businesses alike. This is why knowing the threats that you could face – and how you can utilise AI to reduce your vulnerability to them – is vital for any organisation.

AI in Cybersecurity

Threats

Generative AI Phishing Attacks

A phishing attack is an attack that aims to make someone malicious appear as though they’re a trusted entity in order to gain credentials. This attack is a common social engineering attack, and – while quite transparent these days – can be highly effective if the victim is unprepared.

AI essentially helps speed up this process and make it more realistic and effective – these new attacks are much harder to spot at face value than the phishing attacks of old, and AI lets them specifically target demographics of people.

AI-powered Malware Attacks

AI-powered malware is malware that’s been trained using machine learning to be more powerful and effective than traditional malware. The malware used is much smarter – essentially being able to adaptively think for itself instead of using a preprogrammed directive.

AI Dataset Poisoning

AI dataset poisoning is a way to corrupt the training and output of an AI. By poisoning the data that it uses to train, it is possible to change an AI to become malicious. This is because every AI progressively learns from some form of dataset. It takes the data given to it and forms intelligence based on it, meaning that corrupting that process can have massive repercussions down the line.

Opportunities

AI-based Malware Detection and Response

Just as AI can power up malware, it can also power up malware response tools and systems to be faster and more accurate.

By using AI-powered malware detection tools, you can spot potential threats and malware faster and stamp it out far more efficiently. An AI will be able to adaptively monitor and deal with malware far more effectively than a human or a human-coded programme.

Avoid Human Errors

A lot of breaches and hazards come from human error. If programmed correctly, artificial intelligence is unable to make a mistake due to being trained purely on a dataset.

By identifying weaknesses in your organisation that can be automated with ease, you can mitigate the risk of human error using a well-trained artificial intelligence model dedicated to the tasks required.

Combat the Cybersecurity Skills Shortage

As the world becomes more advanced, the demand for cybersecurity personnel increases.

However, there is a major skills shortage in these areas due to the lack of supply to meet demand. Modern technology is quickly evolving, and not a lot of people are trained in understanding the newer technologies and threats.

With a large dataset that can pull from anywhere, AI helps combat this – it can teach you anything you need to know about cybersecurity and help you strategise and mobilise the security measures that will be most effective for your organisation.

Benefit From Larger Datasets

Utilising new and advanced AI technologies gives you a larger data pool, due to the power and knowledge of newer AI models. This means that you have access to a larger dataset, which can have benefits for machine learning and AI applications throughout your organisation. A larger dataset can mean that identifying trends is both easier and more effective. Your organisation benefits in various ways, and regarding cybersecurity, specifically you will be able to detect threats more quickly and easily.

Find Out More from Extech Cloud

With the rapid advancement of AI technologies, there are multiple drawbacks and opportunities for businesses to consider. Previously, threats simply existed within the realm of human intelligence and possibility. However, AI is rapidly making it easier for new attacks to cause damage to organisations – and for new ways to stop them.

Is your business seeking assistance with AI and cybersecurity? Look no further than the skilled professionals at Extech Cloud. Our team specialises in providing comprehensive support to small and medium businesses located in Burgess Hill, Crawley, Brighton, and throughout Sussex and Surrey. Count on us to guide you on your path to success. Contact us today to learn more about AI and cybersecurity, and to speak directly with one of our specialists.