Although AI can be controversial in some contexts, nobody can deny that it is very good at analysing large data sets, especially when the data format is standardised. This makes AI in cyber security a valuable tool that, when combined with human expertise, can help you keep your systems safer.
We should not blind ourselves to realities, among which is the fact that bad actors also have access to AI. They can act with lightning speed and if we do not use the most advanced tools, including AI in cyber security, we may make ourselves far more vulnerable to attacks.
Here are some of the ways AI for cyber security is revolutionising this extremely important field, helping us to do more for you.
Accuracy and Efficiency
With AI processing and analysing huge datasets within split seconds, its efficiency in cyber security is formidable. And, since it is using its training to check data from every corner of your organisation, detecting anomalies and identifying threats, nothing is missed. It works tirelessly around the clock, doing what it does best: crunching information, drawing conclusions, and responding to potential risks.
Helping Spot Vulnerabilities
Cyber criminals often use advanced AI tools to spot vulnerabilities they can exploit when they launch an attack. You can have the advantage. By enhancing your cyber defences with AI-driven insights, you can more effectively scan your systems from the inside, identifying patterns and weaknesses before attackers do.
Software, hardware, and network configurations are all scrutinised, and AI can suggest the priorities you should address. Cyber security professionals will verify findings, allowing them to attend to vulnerabilities that pose a real threat to your organisation. Depending on the permissions granted, AI-powered cyber security systems can even attend to certain weak spots automatically.
Enhancing Threat Detection
Threats can quickly turn into attacks that paralyse your organisation. The first signs may be very subtle. Perhaps there is some anomalous network activity or network traffic that isn’t quite normal. AI algorithms can constantly analyse your networks, spotting possible cyberattacks during their earliest stages.
This helps with the mitigation of threats before any real damage is done. As an added advantage, AI-powered cybersecurity may even pick up new forms of attack that have never been seen before.
Automated Responses
Rapid responses are key to containing and remedying cyber attacks. While all cyber security incidents are important, some attacks are fairly routine and commonly seen. Reactions to these can easily be automated, lightening your cyber security workload. With AI automating responses to routine attacks, your cyber defences can focus on identifying and escalating more complex or potentially serious threats to security teams.
This means that there will be fewer false positives or routine tasks for them to handle. When human analysts are needed to confirm what the response to unusual activity should be, they will be alerted. They, in turn, may engage with AI tools to determine the best possible responses to security threats.
Will Cyber Security Be Taken Over By AI?
The simple answer is “no.” AI is a cyber security tool. It cuts out a lot of routine work, saves time, and can reduce oversights and errors, but it cannot replace human creativity and critical thinking. Overreliance on AI is a pitfall to be avoided. The person who wields a tool will always be more important than the tool itself.
Just as any tool needs humans to guide it, AI in cyber security needs guidance. It can learn, but it needs teachers. AI also has limitations, including biases that may mean certain user groups are more often flagged than others. Without human oversight, these weaknesses may become problematic.
Finally, we should never forget that AI, itself, can be attacked. Ironically, attacks are often AI-driven. Cyber security has always been a battle of cat-and-mouse with cyber security working to stay one jump ahead of attackers. It is no different today, but it is often a case of AI pitting itself against AI. Human oversight and training can give cyber security AI an edge.
At the same time, it is safe to assume that without any form of AI in cyber security, your defences will be at a disadvantage.
Best Practices For AI in Cyber Security
To implement best practices for AI use in cyber security, you need highly-qualified people who work to remain on the cutting-edge of cyber security. They and their teams of human operatives will:
- Continuously monitor systems and AI effectiveness
- Oversee AI automated activities
- Safeguard the security of the AI tools they use
- Ensure that they understand exactly what their AI does and how it does it
- Monitor data integrity since AI is only as accurate as the data it uses
AI has become an indispensable tool in cyber security, but assuming it can do it all would be a mistake. Best practice calls for a combination of human skill and AI analytics. Your cyber security team will be less effective without AI, and your AI cyber security tools will be less effective without human oversight. Both AI and the threat landscape continue to evolve. Forward-looking strategies developed through human ingenuity will help you to stay ahead of the curve.
Can You Afford AI Cybersecurity Best Practice? Here is How You Can
An industry authority captures the challenge in a Forbes article. The average large organisation uses an average of 54 different cyber security tools. Many of them feel that this proliferation of tools is too much to manage effectively. A further 31 percent of organisations believe they need even more tools to combat cyber threats.
Assembling your AI cyber security toolbox may cost far more than you expected. Specific tools perform specialised tasks. There is no single, catch-all panacea that will keep you safe. Tools have limited usefulness without humans to wield them, and the people who must do so must be specialists in their field. This adds to costs, making it difficult for most organisations to manage cyber security effectively using in-house resources.
There is a simple solution. Join the ranks of prominent organisations that outsource cyber security to Advantex. Combining the best of technology and human expertise, we work around the clock to keep your organisation’s data and network assets safe, secure, and functioning smoothly.
Could we be the perfect fit for your needs? Contact us to find out more about how our cyber security services can help you protect your organisation and its customers.
