Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the newest tech tool that everyone won't stop talking about. Since in the book this week we covered emerging technologies that change lives, I immediately thought of how AI is changing our lives. Personally, I don't favor AI much. I think people are using it as a shortcut instead of using their own intelligence. But it can be a handy tool in automation and for things people don't want to do. Which leads to the application of AI in cybersecurity.
Despite my bias against AI, I can see why it could be such a good tool in the cybersecurity world. Not only can it predict attacks, but it could also make decisions on it's own whether or not an attack is serious. This was discussed in the article by telecompetitor. They argued that AI can be used by the defenders to protect their companies against bad actors. This makes sense, but I still worry that AI is also being used by the attackers. When attending Loffler Tech Fest, one panel discussed cybersecurity and they mentioned noticing an uptick in phishing that was more grammatically correct than before. The host attributed that change to AI, since many of these chatbots are built for text creation and prediction, that's what they excel at. If both the attacker and defender are given the same tools, would it be possible for one side to use it to turn the tides?
In the article written by Forbes, they discussed how AI adds complexity to systems using them. This complexity makes the systems harder to defend. Another point in the favor of the attackers. Since AI often is unreliable in it's decisions and answers, it cannot be defended in the same traditional sense as before. The AI has a model that even after extensive training and mapping, can still be chaotic. This leaves this new Model Layer more defenseless. While this unpredictability is a part of the interest in AI, it also leads to the attackers being interested in companies that utilize AI. These attackers see it as a vulnerability they can take advantage of. The author Tony Bradley, made a good point that when companies let the AI make decisions like API calls and interacting with other agents, that's when the real dangerous territories are crossed into. If we can't predict what it's going to do, can't defend it, what could it do next?
Both the Forbes article and the article by Intelligent CISCO, approve of a joint cause. The cybersecurity world must work together to tackle securing artificial intelligence. If everyone runs their own security, it would lead to an unstable internet. If an infrastructure was built and shared, it might be stronger and better than before. Who knows what is coming next after AI, we will need to work together to secure it otherwise there's another point in the attackers favor.
It's good to know that world-renowned companies like Intelligent CISCO are having these talks at their events like Infosecurity Europe. It is necessary to talk it out and not just blindly use AI without understanding what you're signing up to. AI is a brand new shiny double-edged sword that's been handed to every single person on the planet. How we use it defines what will happen next both on the internet and in our day-to-day lives.
Quotes:
"AI should be a co-pilot, not an autopilot." - Tony Bradley, Forbes
Articles Read:
- Cybersecurity May Come Down to Fighting AI Fire with AI Fire
- Why AI Is The New Cybersecurity Battleground
- Infosecurity Europe 2025 unveils new event features in response to AI reshaping cybersecurity priorities