FEATURE: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Greg Day, VP and CSO EMEA at Palo Alto
Networks, commented: “AI is already playing
a vital role in cybersecurity, helping to detect
and prevent breaches with new capabilities
that the human brain simply could not
achieve. It is encouraging, therefore, to see
the gap closing between AI- and human-
managed cybersecurity technologies, and
the positive attitude towards cybersecurity
checks that comes with a preference for
AI technologies is one we hope to see
embraced by more people in the future.
Humans are risk averse, yet innovation
requires taking new steps and many still
see change as risk. Taking responsibility for
data loss and keeping personal data secure
is the first step in ensuring we are using best
practice within a business and education is
key in helping respondents feel safer online.”
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The study also uncovered mixed views on
the perceived security of Internet of Things
(IoT) technologies, such as smart home
devices and wearables: 38% of EMEA
respondents believe them to be secure,
with a similar number (43%) thinking the
opposite. However, this did vary across
the region, with those in the UAE most
trusting of IoT’s security (71% believe it to
be secure), whereas a higher proportion in
Germany (53%), France (48%) and the UK
(46%) believe them to be insecure.
Topics like data privacy and ethics are
becoming more mainstream and Dr
Jessica Barker says it’s not surprising to see
hesitation in adopting new technologies
like AI and IoT. She commented: “When
any new technology emerges, there
is often a reticence among many to
embrace the change, even when it offers
an improvement to our way of life.
Telephones, trains and televisions were
all a source of fear for the general public
when they were first introduced. Many
people are unaware of the way in which
AI and Machine Learning are already
enabling our use of technology, protecting
our data and preventing cyberattacks,
largely because it is often non-invasive to
the end-user. This can mean people feel
hesitant about the concept of embracing
AI, without realising that it is already a
positive presence in their lives.”
Paul Dignan, Systems Engineering Manager,
F5 Networks, discusses the benefits of
utilising Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the
advancements it offers the cybersecurity
industry if deployed correctly. He says that
AI can be both a destructive tool, or vital for
business development.
It’s no news that advances in AI and Machine
Learning have enormous transformative
potential for cybersecurity defences.
However, rapid advances in technology also
result in huge opportunities for hackers to
get smarter and faster. So, when it comes to
cybersecurity, is AI a friend or foe?
Although the AI arms race is just beginning,
the ultimate potential for automated threats
is vast and unknown. AI-based malware
alone will soon become a widespread
plague, so businesses need to pay attention
or risk getting caught out.
Automated threats on the rise
EVERYONE NEEDS TO REMEMBER THAT
AI CAN BE BOTH A WEAPON OF MASS
DESTRUCTION AND A VITAL PART OF
THE SOLUTION.
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INTELLIGENTCIO
We’ve already started to see how AI-based
malware can be used to scale up attacks.
Polymorphic malware, for instance, can
constantly adapt so its code can’t be
identified. TrickBot is another example
of a stealthy threat that has evolved and
expanded its capabilities from a banking
Trojan to target credit card companies and
wealth management services.
With TrickBot, the threat’s code enters a
network and infects systems automatically,
making it difficult to detect and mitigate
as it changes to avoid detection. TrickBot
is also known for its resilient infrastructure,
including command and control (C&C)
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