Cybersecurity is more than just a superficial terminology. Gone are the days when Cybersecurity was a term merely used in reports and presentations by big business companies that had something to do with either Software or security over the Internet? 2019 is almost over and Cybersecurity means serious business for all kinds of business and individuals.
Cybersecurity is largely about information technology security, technological processes, protective practices, and robust networks & devices. Hence, something of a similar stature can only meet all its needs. Talking of programs that protect data from attack, damage, or unauthorized access, Artificial Intelligence is rapidly being used to counter such threats.
Saying that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help in Cyber Security pursuits is neither an exaggeration nor an understatement. According to BridghtEdge, the next big marketing trend is AI at 26%, right after consumer personalization which is at 26%. Well, that’s huge owing to the fact that Investment into AI startups by venture capitalists has soared sixfold since the year 2000.
So, how exactly is AI a booster for Cybersecurity? How do the two even relate to each other? How can AI be implemented in organizations to meet their Cybersecurity needs?
Let’s find out.
But before we do, let us give you some context if you are entirely new to this arena and have unintentionally stumbled upon this blog post.
Understanding Cybersecurity
Otherwise termed as Information Technology Security, Cybersecurity is all about protecting the online data from damage or attack, shielding sensitive networks, and countering brute force attacks or restricting unauthorized access.
The nature of the data under the protection of Cybersecurity measures is usually sensitive that belongs to the computers and other devices of the Government, the military of a country, a large scale financial organization, a corporate giant, medical organizations etc. A data is marked as sensitive if it is of:
- Intellectual Nature
- Financial Nature
- Personal Nature
- Bureaucratic Nature
- Has a mass implication on the general public
Cybersecurity measures are put into place for safeguarding this information/Data from cyber attacks, Ransomware, Malware, Phishing, Data breach, and Spying which happen to be some of the top cyber threats.
Understanding Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is the science’s super wing for making its computing hardware capable of thinking in a human-like pattern and making decisions based on it. When AI-powered devices and programs are fed with data, they are able to take decisions that largely have an overall effect on the underlying function.
Well, the truth is that a lot of AI-powered programs are still under development and will need some time to be able to make real decisions that can be relied upon without the need for human supervision. For now, they are able to employ algorithms and perform huge computing tasks and work in several research and development areas.
Yet, an effective tool in fighting against the possible Cybersecurity threats, Artificial Intelligence is now widely used in enterprise security strategies and secret Government programs.
AI+Cybersecurity
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Real-time security mapping
The thing about AI is that it is definitely faster than the human brain when it comes to making calculations or making data-fed decisions. When compared to a human-based security monitoring system, an Artificial Intelligence-based model will ace the race.
If we go by the statistics that tells that every 4.2 seconds a new piece of malware is generated, imagine the amount of hard work that would be involved on a human team’s end to locate, diagnose, and eliminate this cyber threat. However, an AI-powered Cybersecurity system in place will be monitoring the system in real-time and combating threats as they arise.
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Countering updated attack strategies
Organizations are spending a whopping amount of up to $100 billion on a wide range of security products, yet Security is far from being impenetrable. The truth is that these cyber threats move faster than one can imagine. They are ever-morphing and updated the very minute they are spotted by an intelligent security system. Only an AI-powered security system can understand and identify their core code, resulting in the failure of their attempt to morph and disguise. A smart AI-based Cybersecurity program will be able to stay updated as per these attack strategies, leaving them powerless.
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Getting ahead of the threats
Artificial Intelligence is about a continuous machine learning process wherein the software or the computing system keeps picking up data from the source for observation and learning. However, not defying the fact that AI is still in development stages when compared to the expectations of a full-blown Cybersecurity system, we cannot ignore its potential of getting ahead.
Even using VPN is a good option for securing data for Cybersecurity professionals. For those who live in China can search for VPN for China and chose a relevant one to strengthen their security.
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Assisting Cybersecurity professionals
Without any smart computing help, meeting the downpour of cyber attacks is a nearly impossible task for security professionals worldwide. AI helps in CyberSecurity pursuits by enabling smart human decisions when it comes to fetching far-sighted security decisions. An AI-powered security system or machine will be at ease even while it scans a log of thousand entries for potential threats, which a human team will not be able to cope up with.
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AI and machine learning
The CISCO 2018 Annual Cybersecurity Report states that “Defenders should consider adopting advanced security technologies that include machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities. With malware hiding its communication inside of encrypted web traffic, and rogue insiders sending sensitive data through corporate cloud systems, security teams need effective tools to prevent or detect the use of encryption for concealing malicious activity.”
The stated conclusion of the CISCO report is enough to stress on the fact that advanced tools like machine learning and artificial intelligence are a must to complement threat prevention, detection, and remediation. Hence, some of the top existing Cybersecurity products and programs have been put into the machine learning technologies for making them way more competent.
Conclusion:
Surpassing the limitations of Encryption, Artificial Intelligence can supercharge Cybersecurity efforts and programs. By harnessing its advanced capability of fetching loads of data and learning, AI can help in Cybersecurity by identifying and responding to both known and
emerging threats.
The journey to ensuring a secure acting environment for sensitive data has been a long one, that remains to be met with exceptional results. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, together can defend the security mishaps by at least mitigating the impact and intensity of these cyber-criminal activities around the globe.
