In recent years, the cybersecurity industry has undergone a significant transformation, fueled by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) powered tools. To comprehend the impact of AI on cybersecurity, it’s essential to delve into its history, current state, and future implications.
The Emergence of AI in Cybersecurity
Until recent years, the integration of artificial intelligence in cybersecurity was not widely adopted due to the substantial expense and expertise required to implement AI in security infrastructure. Only organizations with vast resources considered AI a viable strategy. Moreover, artificial intelligence was not widely tested and proven in its infancy, and the necessary data to train AI, such as algorithms for threat detection, was not yet available. As a result, AI was an unreliable tool, suitable only for basic and redundant tasks.
The Current State of AI in Cybersecurity
Much has changed since then. Artificial intelligence is now a widely adopted, affordable, and robust tool in the cybersecurity industry. An impressive performance track record has led to its implementation in a wide range of cybersecurity applications. AI has consistently demonstrated its ability to analyze vast amounts of data while learning user behavior to detect cybercrime threats and anomalies.
AI Applications in Cybersecurity
Artificial intelligence applications can automate specific tasks, such as rerouting traffic away from vulnerable servers, configuring security alerts, and responding to cyberattacks with lightning speed. Beyond automation, AI can also prioritize tasks. For instance, the Vectra AI Attack Signal Intelligence platform is a network detection and response solution that takes threat detection a step further by prioritizing attacks in real-time.
Many prominent companies and applications have integrated artificial intelligence into their software, including:
- McAfee Smart AI Hub, which utilizes AI to detect deep fake and protect against scams.
- Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud, which employs AI on its security platform to investigate and respond to cyberthreats.
- Darktrace, which leverages AI to learn network patterns and flag deviations as potential cybersecurity risks.
The Benefits and Challenges of AI in Cybersecurity
Today, AI’s role in automating detection and response tasks is heavily relied on due to a critical shortage of cybersecurity professionals in the workforce. Increased automation empowers individuals working in this field, such as analysts and engineers, to focus on important tasks that artificial intelligence cannot yet manage.
However, AI is not a useful tool for defenders alone. Attackers also leverage artificial intelligence for malicious purposes, creating increasingly sophisticated and realistic phishing email messages to manipulate unsuspecting recipients. At the other end of the spectrum, AI is being improved upon to filter out increasingly convincing phishing emails. According to Visua (n.d.), “AI doesn’t look at code or use fingerprints – it looks at emails and web pages with ‘human’ eyes, but at machine speed.”
The Future of AI in Cybersecurity
As AI continues to evolve, attackers will invent increasingly novel ways to weave AI infrastructure into their attack strategies. Penetration testers and other cybersecurity defenders will need to stay ahead by continuously detecting and patching vulnerabilities, often with the assistance of AI. It is crucial for modern cybersecurity professionals to remain informed about the threat AI poses as well as the defense it offers.
Artificial intelligence is a double-edged sword that has become an indispensable tool with a wide range of applications in the cybersecurity realm. It has revolutionized this industry, both as a challenge and as a solution. As AI continues to evolve, it is essential for cybersecurity professionals to stay informed about its role in the industry and adapt to the changing landscape.
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Reference
Visua. (n.d.). Anti-Phishing Detection with Visual AI. https://visua.com/use-case/anti-phishing-detection-with-visual-ai