Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity: A Beginner’s Guide

As technology advances, data exchange across the internet continues to speed up. This massive data scale causes cybersecurity analysts and software engineers to rely more and more on machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms to protect themselves from hackers.

Artificial intelligence is a ground-breaking technology in cybersecurity that can warn organizations about cyberattacks long before they occur. Not only can AI predict future attacks, but it can also defend against these attacks and get rid of them before they cause destruction. All this is made possible by AI’s ability to study patterns, online behavior, and data collection.

Benefits of Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity

AI has loads of potential in cybersecurity as it can be trained to produce alerts for viruses and threats, identify malware, and guard sensitive customer data. 

Here are some of the benefits of AI in cybersecurity:

AI Can Adapt and Learn New Things

AI can increase network security as needed with the help of deep learning and machine learning. This helps it understand a business’s behavior to recognize network patterns and detect deviations before generating a response to them.

This can help create air-tight security in the long run as potential threats are identified and blocked early on. It is no wonder why it is nearly impossible for hackers to beat artificial intelligence.

AI Can Handle Loads of Data

A company’s network usually deals with hundreds of activities and plenty of traffic. Every day, a large amount of data is transferred between the business and clients. If sensitive information is not protected, the company can lose its clients. 

AI is the best solution for protecting software from malicious threats and people. Unlike humans, it can detect threats that are masked as everyday activities. The automation can skim through large chunks of traffic and data within seconds, protecting the company from threats and viruses.

AI Can Identify Threats

Regardless of how much resources you put into security, some threats are bound to go unnoticed. Did you know that hackers launch millions of attacks against companies each year? Threats can cause loads of damage to a network if they are not detected and mitigated in time. 

Today, hackers are trying new ways and using social engineering to malware attacks, which are impossible for human beings to detect. However, artificial intelligence has proved to be the best technology in detecting and stopping random threats from destroying a company.

How is Artificial Intelligence Used in Cybersecurity?

Cyber-attacks are evolving, and the number of connected devices keeps increasing. AI is the only way to effectively automate threat detection and respond instantly compared to conventional software-driven approaches.

Artificial intelligence in cybersecurity is a self-learning management system that can be trained by multiple technologies to gather information across different enterprise systems. Once the data is collected, it is analyzed and cross-checked against trillions of signals to ensure that it is not vulnerable to attack.

Any time something out of the ordinary happens, AI can notify you and take action- this could mean sending a notification to the head of IT or bringing the business back to safety after a ransomware attack. 

AI technology is used in multiple cybersecurity categories, such as:

Threat Exposure

Influencers follow what’s-in and what’s-out, but hackers also pay close attention to trends. AI systems in cybersecurity are trained to keep up with industry-specific and global knowledge of threats to help you make important decisions while pointing out where your enterprise is vulnerable.

Predicting Breach Risk

AI-based systems can tell you where and how you can be breached so that you can allocate company resources and tools towards vulnerable spots. 

AI analysis also provides insights that can be used to configure and increase controls so that you can boost your company’s cyber resilience.

Reducing False Positives

With the rise in false positives, time that could be used to fix real problems is taken away. However, with the use of AI in cybersecurity, the number of false positives can be reduced so that less time and resources are wasted.

AI can quickly analyze a wide number of security risks and events, including identifying risky behavior and malware that could lead to leaked sensitive data. AI learns and relearns as hackers launch new attacks, keeping in line with the current trends. 

Ways in Which Artificial Intelligence Can Prevent Cyber Attacks

As cyberattacks grow in large numbers, AI supports small-to-medium businesses and protects big organizations from malicious attacks. 

Here is how AI can prevent cyber-attacks:

Detecting Spam or Impersonation

Cyberattackers will try to impersonate a company to trick their victim- a common occurrence that many businesses struggle with. However, companies can sift through piles of information to create algorithms that will recognize patterns and understand behavior so that anomalies can be fished out.

With the help of this algorithm, AI can recognize spam and impersonating emails by paying close attention to the message content and sending warning signals when necessary. 

Keeping DNS Data Secure

It is a common practice among cyber criminals to use DNS (domain name system) to control sensitive customer data and business information. AI can analyze millions of DNS queries and pull out the criminals to ensure they do not attack company servers. 

Hackers can intercept DNS requests and send fake responses to clients. This is a massive problem that thousands of businesses face daily. 70% of all cyber-attacks come with DNS poisoning.

Artificial intelligence can not only block threats online, but it can also remove inappropriate content and access to harmful websites. Think of AI as a thick layer of protection from the internet- a dark place where you could fall in the traps of hackers and attackers if you are not careful.

Authenticity Protection

When it comes to cybersecurity, there is nothing more critical than authentication. Even though cybercriminals are evolving their skills, AI helps improve authentication by detecting and responding to threats constantly. 

For instance, if a user shifts to another location, starts using a different device or tries to access financial data that is irrelevant to their line of work, AI will ask them to verify their identity.

Moreover, artificial intelligence also offers visibility in real-time when focusing on login attempts to reduce risk thresholds.

Real Examples of Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity

Vehicle Bomb Detection

An Israeli startup named UVeye has developed a machine learning and artificial intelligence product that scans the body of moving vehicles and alerts security personnel against threats.

This AI system strategically uses high-resolution cameras to take 3D images of anything out-of-the-ordinary, including drugs, weapons, and explosive devices. According to the startup, the technology will work best with vehicles traveling at 28 MPH, which means that it can detect anomalies that humans would ordinarily miss.

In this case, artificial intelligence plays a significant role in accessing mountains of data so that every passing vehicle is accounted for and manufacturer information is retrieved from moving vehicles in real life. AI can detect the most minute discrepancies, including weight and part placement. Moreover, it also listens to anything suspicious via audio and alerts the authorities in case of danger.

This AI technology only three seconds to pick up on unlawful materials, making it a brilliant addition to security roles and vehicle security at large. This system is perfect for border crossings, popular tourist spots, government building entrances, airports, and other critical infrastructure vulnerable to attack.

Home Security

The home security market will be worth $74.75 billion by 2023 as machine learning and artificial intelligence become more popular. 

AI has important role in home security, as conventional home security systems can get inundated with false alarms and human error. Lighthouse AI is an artificial intelligence system that can send alerts of pets, humans, or anything suspicious while you are not at home. 

The Lighthouse app can keep you updated on events, whether your cat is walking across the living room or an intruder is jumping your home fence. You can feed house members into the app so that it does not send alerts to those you consider friends or family.

When combined with artificial intelligence, home security cameras have become powerful assets that every homeowner invests in. Conventional security systems would wreak havoc by alerting the police in case of the slightest movement, even when there was no danger.

However, AI-operated home systems have entirely changed security dynamics.

AI for Military

There is loads of potential for artificial intelligence in the military. However, this is not an option since the military needs to make decisions quickly. Humans can only deal with so much data before getting overwhelmed and hitting a roadblock. 

To deal with human error, a US company created Shield AI- a surveillance system operated by artificial intelligence explicitly made for military personnel. This uses a machine-learning app that helps vehicles learn about their surroundings. In turn, this allows military units on the field to explore dangerous areas, such as caves, tunnels, and buildings, reducing the risk to human lives.

Artificial intelligence will continue to mature and play a more significant role on the battlefield in land and air domains. You can also expect AI-operated armored vehicles and pilotless aircrafts to take over the sky. The nature of defense is such that slow data processing can lead to increased danger, so AI helps speed things up.

Possible Disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity

There is no denying that AI in cybersecurity has loads of benefits. However, it can also cause some problems, such as:

Hackers Can Use AI, Too

Even though the technology is advancing, keep in mind that hackers can also stay on top of trends. This means that they are constantly trying to find loopholes that they can exploit to their benefit. 

AI in cybersecurity is a double-edged sword that can be used both ways – it depends on who can create a superior algorithm that caters to data better. When you think about it this way, AI threatens security. 

Moreover, just like a company is constantly studying data to find threats, hackers are also studying the cyber-defense mechanisms of organizations to find a way in and attack.

Unemployment

Just like every artificial intelligence-driven system, AI in cybersecurity is a threat to employment. As AI becomes increasingly popular, many companies worldwide no longer want IT experts to test networks manually and keep data in check.

After all, why waste resources when AI can do the job more effectively and make fewer mistakes? While this can be great for the company, it threatens millions of livelihoods of individuals who spent millions of dollars obtaining college degrees in IT-specific subjects only to become redundant as IT solutions replace their needs in the market.

Conclusion

As data becomes the crux of decision-making, AI has embedded itself into different businesses, companies, and industries, especially cybersecurity. Various cybersecurity organizations worldwide have started to realize the importance of AI in everyday tasks as they incorporate learning algorithms in their services and protect themselves from security threats.

One cannot deny that AI technologies help human security teams excel at their jobs by detecting threats and delivering precise analysis so that cybersecurity professionals can reduce the risks of a breach and boost their security. After all, humans cannot keep track of the attack surfaces that keep changing, thanks to modern enterprises.

Even though AI is a potent tool that can protect against cybercrime, it is essential to keep the risks associated with AI in mind so that you can take the necessary steps to mitigate them.