25 Jun Artificial Intelligence for Cybersecurity

Then and now

The 80s were a period of economic boom and a rise in technology. Cyber crimes were trivial and not financially driven. A small-time hacker disrupting your personal computer was more for the thrill than for financial gain. Malware was used to erase contents on your hard drive and that was pretty much the extent of a cybercrime. Vulnerabilities were few and so were threats. Artificial Intelligence for cybersecurity was unheard of.

Fast forward to today, technology advancements have grown leaps and bounds. The number of people connected to the internet is only growing by the minute. According to Statista.com, the number of internet users worldwide has grown from 1,024 Million in 2015 to 3,896 Million in 2018.

The advent of Artificial Intelligence

The massive growth in internet users and the lure of money has made cyber crimes more sophisticated and organized. The shift is from merely making a computer owner’s life miserable to stealing hundreds and millions of dollars from organizations and users. Large scale cyber crimes in the recent past have successfully targeted powerhouse corporations in the healthcare, financial and other service industries. Cybercrime is growing rapidly and attacks are more frequent.

Since the risks of cyberattacks are greater today, cybersecurity measures are evolving as well. This has made way for more advanced approaches such as the use of Artificial intelligence (AI) for cybersecurity. AI is being hailed as the next-generation technique in cybersecurity.

Artificial Intelligence for cybersecurity is being used progressively these days by professionals looking to prevent attacks with minimal human intervention. Machine learning is a part of AI where systems and networks are capable of acquiring and absorbing knowledge. An extension of human expertise, it complements and adds to the overall security framework enabling proactive detection of potential threats.

AI enhances a computer’s decision-making through trend detection and assessment. It allows automation of threat assessment through unique set algorithms and calculations. We discuss some of the benefits AI offers below.

Benefits of Artificial Intelligence

Accelerates threat detection and response times: Manual system checks do not satisfy today’s rapidly changing technology environment. Businesses need to quickly uncover threats and conceal weak points and vulnerabilities. AI allows enterprises to speed up this process and reduce detection and response times.

Capable of managing complex, in-depth, and massive amounts of data: Safety of data is a huge challenge these days for businesses around the globe. The sheer amount of data that is generated on a daily basis can be overwhelming for human capabilities. AI is capable of substituting this human weakness and working through huge datasets in a matter of minutes.

Works around the clock: Attacks can occur at any time making continuous monitoring crucial in order to facilitate business continuity. One of the biggest advantages of AI is that it works non-stop. You can be rest assured that your resources are working with maximum efficiency and without interruptions.

Identifies unknown threat: AI systems can be programmed to include algorithms and codes to detect malware and viruses. These perform pattern recognition to uncover unknown suspicious activities and unauthorized behavior through predictive analytics. Additionally, AI systems can be trained to track websites that navigate to malicious domains.

Frees up human capital: Manpower is one of the most important resource in an organization. Humans excel in critical thinking and are capable of decision making through judgement and analytical skills. AI frees up IT professionals that are swamped with noise such as alerts and incidents allowing them to focus on things they are good at.

Conclusion

Although AI has been a breakthrough in cybersecurity, it also lacks human perception and critical thinking skills. AI will not replace human potential nor will it take on cybersecurity all on its own. However, it is certainly here to stay. A combination of skilled professionals and AI will be a good cybersecurity strategy as organizations continue to invest in a robust security program.

Cyber Chasse can help you leverage AI to the fullest in your quest for an effective cybersecurity framework. Get in touch with us today.