Ever since the rise of technology and the Age of the Internet, cybersecurity has been considered as one of the biggest challenges and priorities for businesses and organizations. However, establishments and companies are not the only ones who should think about their cybersecurity, even individuals and consumers also need to be mindful of the safety of their data.
Cybersecurity software and tools have been continuously improving along with technological advancements. However, like most things in the world, it is not perfect.
The Ultimate Cybersecurity Blind Spot: AI Systems
Traditional cybersecurity measures need to be constantly updated because networks and systems are also improving. On top of that, just as technology is advancing, cyber attackers are also enhancing their tools and methods.
Artificial Intelligence is slowly but surely making its way into people’s daily lives. It is also being implemented in some business networks and systems. There are so many uncharted areas when it comes to AI which makes it a major blindspot for cybersecurity measures.
Several vulnerabilities are only applicable to artificial intelligence systems. Unfortunately, most cybersecurity tools and software do not account for the AI system’s need for access to many large datasets. Since this type of system does not align with current cybersecurity fundamentals and implementations, AI systems are considered a blind spot for most cybersecurity tools.
The rising popularity of AI systems and data analytics just proves how many benefits they bring to users. However, today’s security practices are fundamentally blind to the security risks most emerging AI technologies create.
As mentioned previously, AI systems require access to large data sets. It also means that new technologies need (and receive) unrestrained access to data to ensure accuracy and efficiency in their performance.
That said, a lot of adjustments are needed to secure both business and personal networks and data.
Positive Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Cybersecurity
AI is not all bad, in fact, most people probably know of the benefits of implementing artificial intelligence in their lives. Here are some benefits of artificial intelligence in cybersecurity:
AI Fraud Detection
AI shows outstanding results when it comes to fraud and anomaly detection. It does a great job recognizing complicated scam patterns that can significantly help in the fight against cybercriminals.
Email Spam Filters
AI can help identify harmful emails by applying a defensive set of rules and criteria. These rules help block away messages with suspect language automatically with the help of artificial intelligence. AI spam filters protect email users by reducing the time it takes to sort through undesirable messages.
Cybersecurity AI Bot Attack Prevention
Maybe it really does take one to know one. AI can help facilitate the detection and prevention of bot attacks. AI can identify user behavior patterns to spot carefully disguised attacks.
Vulnerability Analyzation
Although AI itself is also a vulnerability, it does help in finding other potential vulnerabilities. It can analyze baseline user behavior, endpoints, servers, and even discussions to identify code vulnerabilities and predict attacks.
Malware Detection
AI can help antivirus software detect malware which means it can help users filter good files from bad files. However, keep in mind that although AI-based cybersecurity tools are much faster than the traditional ones, they also can end up with a lot of false positives. Combining traditional methods with AI is the suggested way to effectively detect malware.
Negative Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Cybersecurity
Aside from having unique vulnerabilities outside the fundamentals of traditional cybersecurity tools, here are other reasons why AI is considered a vulnerability in cybersecurity:
Data Gathering
As mentioned previously, AI needs unrestricted access to user and system data to be able to perform effectively. This reason is why it is a great tool for cyber attackers to use for better victim profiling. Of course, cybercriminals are taking advantage of this to speed up their attack process.
Spam and Phishing
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms are capable of creating realistic fake messages that aim to steal user credentials and access.
Malware Disguise
Although AI can be used to detect malware, it can also hide malware. Malware that monitors node and endpoint behavior and creates patterns that resemble legal network traffic on a victim’s network can be hidden using machine learning. It can also include a self-destructive feature in malware to increase the pace with which an assault is carried out. Algorithms are programmed to extract data faster than a human, making prevention considerably more difficult.
Password
AI and machine learning can help cyber criminals analyze password data sets which helps them make better password guesses. Since AI systems naturally need unrestricted access to data, it is also easier for hackers to steal your data once they get into your AI system.
At the End of the Day
Just as technology is ever-changing, cybersecurity tools also need to improve their function and fundamentals to help accommodate the challenges created by new technology.
Artificial Intelligence offers many benefits and it still has so much potential. It is gaining popularity in many business systems, networks, and even in your everyday devices– so it is obviously here to stay.
Since traditional cybersecurity methods still need some improvements to be able to handle the risks of AI technology, what can you do to keep a safe environment for your network?
First of all, you still need to make sure that you have a good cybersecurity system in place. Although it cannot fully address the threats of AI technology, it will help reduce the impact of a cyberattack.
Then you need to implement a zero-trust model. This concept requires expecting breaches in all scenarios. It means that you need to implement risk-based access controls by limiting who has access to files and data. It also means enforcing strict resiliency requirements into network architectures and to users.
AI has many benefits, but people should be more aware of how it creates opportunities for cybercriminals as well. It does not mean that you should not use AI, but you should definitely take some extra steps to ensure that your network and data stay safe.