How AI is Shaping the Future of Cyber Security
In the last few months, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as both a formidable ally and a complex challenge for cyber security practitioners. As AI technologies advance, they're being used both by cyber security professionals and cyber criminals, and as with every other security conversation, it's a cat-and-mouse game.
The new threat landscape
Cyber attackers leverage AI to immensely enhance their capabilities. It has been used by attackers as a tool to improve their phishing attempts, by allowing non-native speakers of English to craft very convincing messages in an attempt to capture their credentials or to deliver malware. It has also allowed them to employ techniques such as deepfakes to exploit the confidence that people put in their employers. Conversely, AI also equips cyber security teams with the tools to significantly boost their threat detection capabilities and automate responses.
AI empowering cyber security teams
The rapid advancement of AI in this domain is also causing concern in the workforce, particularly at the blue team level. And yet it’s crucial to recognise that the essence of cyber security is human. AI’s capacity to improve work output and efficiency is undeniable, but AI is not capable of nuanced judgement, and it doesn’t have the creative problem-solving skills of humans (at least not yet).
A significant majority of professionals in the field acknowledge the influence AI is expected to have on their roles, with a notable portion already experiencing this change. Cyber security professionals are used to the eternally changing threat landscape, and they can still find use for AI to handle repetitive and time-consuming tasks such as assisting with code templating, reviewing large quantities of data or even being used to detect and prevent the same types of phishing attacks used by malicious actors.
The future of AI in cyber security
Finally, the demand for AI and machine learning knowledge among cyber security professionals is surging, showing a critical skill gap that needs to be addressed. Moreover, the growing cybersecurity workforce gap, pushed by the rise of AI-based threats, underscores the need for a modernised approach to cyber security training and education.
The threat landscape will continue to evolve, and security professionals will have to keep up with the latest developments as they've always done, as CrowdStrike notes on its 2024 Global Threat Report that "generative AI has the potential to lower the barrier of entry for low-skilled adversaries, making it easier to launch attacks that are more sophisticated and state of the art".
Conclusion
AI is transforming the field of cyber security, enhancing our ability to counter threats but also presenting new challenges. The journey ahead requires a balanced approach, embracing the opportunities AI offers to improve security measures, while also investing in the human capital that remains at the heart of this industry.
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