The threats against organisations are growing in volume and success, but can AI in cyber security stop the rot and turn failure into success?

There is a list of growing cyber security threats, ranging from a rise in identity thefts and account takeovers to vindictive ransomware strains. Businesses are feeling the strain, especially Fortune 500 enterprises, who have massive stores of data. Because of this, they have become attractive to bad actors who want to try and take over that honeypot.

But, all is not lost.

AI in cyber security, while not a silver bullet, can help improve an organisation’s overall cyber security posture — if they get the security basics right in the first place (firewalls, data encryption etcetera).

With any technology, there is no such thing as a silver bullet.

AI in cyber security

New malware is constantly being generated, so it is incredibly difficult to recognise, let alone defend against. AI is able to look at all these various of malware — some predict it’s around 800 million different strains — and see certain patterns; this new malware has a similar code to X, Y, Z etcetera. The technology is useful in future-proofing organisations against new malware,” confirms Labhesh Patel, CTO and chief scientist at Jumio.

AI is also excellent at detecting anomalies; identifying patterns that do not match existing patterns of behaviour. It can alert an organisation if a malicious strain has entered the network quickly. This is a huge asset, because in the past malware could roam undetected for months, even years (Yahoo), harvesting data and generating significant revenue for the hackers.

Does it completely solve the problem? No.

Both the good guys and bad guys are using AI. But, what AI does — along with basic cyber hygiene — is help make sure organisations do not fall prey to traditional types of attack.

#cyber security #ai #security basics