The risks of AI are often in the news, but what are the rewards of AI? NetworkTigers discusses.
The development of complex, sophisticated AI models continues to advance, allowing companies access to cybersecurity tools and efficiencies that help bolster safety and streamline various tasks and operations.
Criminals use the same technology to power everything from phishing attacks and social engineering scams to deepfakes and malware development.
By all accounts, the cyber world is in an arms race between threat actors and security administrators looking to stay one step ahead of the other.
While AI technology promises airtight networks and lightspeed response times, it remains a double-edged sword. With both great risks and rewards possible, careful consideration is required when integrating AI tools into security processes.
Risks posed by AI in cybersecurity
Malicious algorithm manipulation
AI systems require high-quality data and input to train and hone their algorithms accurately. The behavior of an AI system is dependent on what it’s trained on, and researchers fear that malicious actors could use junk data or specially designed prompts to manipulate or otherwise compromise an AI-powered security process’s algorithm.
Savvy hackers may be able to sidestep or otherwise “confuse” an AI model by feeding it input specifically developed to wreak havoc.
Overreliance on AI
With AI’s convenience and practicality heavily advertised, the temptation to use it to replace discerning security professionals is a cost-saving measure that organizations may succumb to. However, the unique, creative viewpoints and observations of human network administrators are critical when it comes to interpreting novel threats and discerning actual dangers from false positives.
Security teams themselves may also develop a dependency on AI tools, believing that they alone will be able to detect and even respond to suspicious activity with little oversight. The fact remains that AI tools are most effective when used to supplement a knowledgeable and experienced staff.
Bad data results in bad performance
An AI-powered security system is only as good as the data used to train it. Successfully implementing AI requires diligence and a deep understanding of your network, how users typically behave, and what constitutes activity that should be flagged.
A poorly set-up AI system will not function optimally and, when used in an organization that relies too heavily on it, may actually open up security holes that a human security professional would have caught.
Training is required
While putting security on autopilot may be the dream of C-level decision-makers and budget cutters, staff must be trained to use, manage, deploy, and maintain AI-powered tools. A set-it-and-forget-it model is not realistic. Unless administrators are intimately familiar with the AI model and how to apply it to their system, it will never function as efficiently or safely as it should.
Rewards of AI in cybersecurity
Superpowered threat detection
A major advantage that AI has over human intelligence in the context of network security is the ability to detect potentially malicious activity in near real-time. This allows a response, whether automated or manned, to be initiated immediately. This enhanced response time can greatly limit the disruption caused by an attack.
AI security tools can also be deeply customized to meet the needs and applications of the specific environment, user behavior, and organization they’re deployed for.
Superior defenses
Thanks to AI technology’s ability to analyze data, recognize anomalies, and draw on the behavior of previous cyberattacks at a granular level, these models can identify potential security flaws within established systems and then make recommendations or even execute preemptive defensive measures.
This continual analysis and flexibility system can keep organizations ahead of threat actors by preventing cracks from appearing in their networks.
Predictive analysis
Machine learning algorithms can quickly interpret patterns and offer insights into trends that may expose a system to an attack. By keeping a close eye on a system’s mechanics, analyzing historical behavior, and continually refreshing itself with new information related to emerging threats or potentially suspicious activity to watch out for, a properly honed AI security system can alert administrators to potential flaws and give them the information they need to prevent them from being exploited.
This predictive behavior is especially valuable in combating automated attacks. AI can sift through huge amounts of data to determine beneficial bot activity, such as search engine crawlers, from malicious swarming.
Limitless adaptability
A major benefit of AI systems is their fluidity and flexibility. As new information becomes available, an AI-powered system will immediately apply it to its protocols. This is in stark contrast to static systems that use a rigid rulebook to call out danger, as this traditional method doesn’t automatically update itself and can be thwarted by swiftly acting hackers.
A dynamic security system can identify threats as they appear, making it more difficult for hackers to predict and circumvent.
Fewer false alarms
When combined with human intelligence, AI can have a major impact on the workload of IT staff members by reducing the number of false alarms that require attention. A well-implemented AI algorithm can lower the number of legitimate actions flagged as suspicious far more efficiently than a traditional rule-based system.
Programmed with nuance and precision, an AI system can lessen the burden placed on human staff by limiting false positives. This frees administrators to focus on the tasks that demand human attention and operate more efficiently.
Is AI-powered cybersecurity the right choice for you?
While artificial intelligence is already nearly inescapable, the swift pace of its development and adoption by threat actors with little to fear regarding haphazard implementation has created an environment of productivity-enhancing benefits and potentially devastating consequences for rushed adoption.
The hype surrounding AI can also create pressure to fold it into systems and environments that may not benefit from it.
Administrators and business owners looking to incorporate AI into their security systems should familiarize themselves with the intricacies of this latest technological evolution to determine if the risks are worth the rewards.
About NetworkTigers
NetworkTigers is the leader in the secondary market for Grade A, seller-refurbished networking equipment. Founded in January 1996 as Andover Consulting Group, which built and re-architected data centers for Fortune 500 firms, NetworkTigers provides consulting and network equipment to global governmental agencies, Fortune 2000, and healthcare companies. www.networktigers.com.
All articles sponsored by NetworkTigers.
