Wondering how you can employ Artificial Intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity? Read this guide to know more
Cyberattacks have grown at a rapid pace in the last few years. As technology is evolving at a swift pace, the sophistication in techniques used by hackers and cybercriminals is also progressing with the times. Therefore, businesses of all sizes are required to stay updated with the latest strategies to keep their confidential records protected.
While larger enterprises are considered to be most at-risk for a cyberattack, statistics reveal that small and medium-sized businesses are mostly targeted by cybercriminals. A cyberattack can cause significant damage to the business, including the loss of clients, the loss of income, the cost of recovering from the attack, and the reputational damage that ensues from a security breach.
Considering this, your business must prepare itself by using the latest technology to improve cybersecurity. Artificial Intelligence is one trend that you can leverage, as AI-powered tools enable security teams to effectively analyze risks without any human error.
Due to its ever-evolving characteristic, AI and ML (Machine Learning) have become integral tools in information security, as businesses can scan through millions of dealings to discover multiple categories of threats.
But what role does AI play in cybersecurity? Continue reading to find out!
What is the difference between Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics
In its true essence, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a self-learning technology designed exclusively to replicate cognitive abilities in order to automate tasks. Therefore, AI-powered tools employ an iterative and dynamic process. This means an AI-powered system becomes more effective as it continues to deal with more data. These systems use their past experiences as a learning opportunity and are improved and automated with time.
On the other hand, Data Analytics (DA) is a simple, stationary process that revolves around the examination of large data sets. Heaps of data are meticulously analyzed by a machine to gain an understanding of the information including using specialized systems and software programs. Unlike AI, DA does not use a self-learning mechanism.
What are the fundamentals of AI
Artificial Intelligence is designed to replicate cognitive tasks and responsibilities. Therefore, the system can store field-specific information, gather new information, and employ different techniques to use the information it has acquired. AI technology includes several subdivisions, including machine learning, expert systems, neural networks, and deep learning, among others.
Machine Learning: Machine learning leverages statistical abilities to allow computer systems to improve their knowledge. ML systems use their past experiences as an example, harnessing data instead of being explicitly programmed. Machine Learning technology is ideally used to perform pre-determined tasks rather than executing a wide-ranging process.
Expert Systems: Parallel to machine learning, expert systems are also used to solve complex tasks within a specific category. These systems replicate the cognitive abilities by making decisions using a rule-based approach after studying mounds of data.
Neural Network: A Neural network is another system created that enable computer to replicate human-like abilities. These systems allow the computer system to learn using observational data. A neural network is designed to imitate the biological structure and functioning of the human brain, as a signal are sent from one node to another.
Deep Learning: Deep Learning is another popular AI subcategory. It uses machine-learning approaches that are built on learning data representations instead of task-specific algorithms. Deep learning tools are used for a plethora of applications, including autonomous vehicles, medical diagnoses, and scan analysis, among others.
That being said, Artificial Intelligence is primarily used in three ways:
Assisted Intelligence: Assisted Intelligence refers to the AI-powered tools that introduce improvement and efficiency in day-to-day organizational activities.
Augmented Intelligence: This is a relatively new form of AI. Augmented Intelligence refers to the technology that allows individuals and organizations to complete tasks that were impossible to execute before AI.
Autonomous Intelligence: This type of AI is still being perfected. Autonomous Intelligence uses machines that act without human interference. For instance, self-driving cars are an example of Autonomous Intelligence.
Using AI in cybersecurity
Artificial Intelligence is employed in cybersecurity to find solutions to automate scans and threat detection and to respond quickly to external threats. These are some of the benefits that AI devices offer in cybersecurity:
- A comprehensive scan to analyze potential threats.
- Offering protection for thousands of devices.
- Defending against hundreds of attack vectors.
- Equipping information security experts with the tools to resolve cybersecurity threats.
With a self-learning, AI-powered cybersecurity system, businesses can brace themselves against many of the challenges that advanced threats introduce. AI technologies come with a self-learning system to consistently evolve, quite parallel to the threat vectors.
AI systems independently collect data from systems over a network and analyze it to execute a correspondence of patterns across billions of signals that hint at a potential threat. With AI systems, cybersecurity can be enhanced in the following ways:
IT asset inventory
The AI tools acquire access to the complete and accurate inventory of all devices, users, and applications that interact with the computer systems. Business categorization and measurements are also considered integral factors in inventory.
Threat detection
As stated earlier, the nature of threats is also becoming significantly evolved with technological advancements. Therefore, AI-powered tools are the best options against ever-evolving threats. Since these tools are updated with the latest industry knowledge on a global scale, they are able to safeguard your networks against potential threats.
Elimination of human error
Human error contributes significantly to several threats. Businesses that deal with digital information storage can find themselves at a risk due to minor or major negligence caused by their workers. In such cases, AI-powered tools can be quite effective in maintaining a strong security posture. AI tools can assist businesses in highlighting the weak points and the strengths in the current business security model.
Prediction of breach risks
Risk prediction is another great advantage of using AI-powered tools. AI systems for cybersecurity can carry out accounting for IT asset inventory, identify threat exposure, and ensure the security processes are carried out effectively.
In addition, these systems can predict the areas where your system can be breached, allowing businesses to invest in resources and tools to bridge the gap and create a robust security system.
AI tools provide a comprehensive analysis to enable businesses with configuring and upgrading their controls and processes, so they can efficiently boost the company’s cybersecurity.
Incident response
AI-enabled systems can also be used to perfect the context for prioritization and response to security signals. This way, businesses can quickly react to incidents and protect themselves from suffering significant damage.
AI systems can also help security teams to identify root causes, so the teams can resolve them quickly to circumvent future problems. For instance, if unsafe browsing is the root cause of a security incident, security teams can install a Chile VPN to mitigate the risk.
Wrapping up
During the last few years, Artificial Intelligence has grown at a rapid pace, navigating all areas of information technology.
However, its use in cybersecurity has paved the way for businesses to protect themselves from external threats by mitigating risks, analyzing threats, identifying vulnerabilities, and using updated data to predict potential threats. Essentially, Artificial Intelligence in cybersecurity has equipped businesses with the right tools to keep themselves protected.
In information security, AI tools can discover and prioritize risks, identify malware on networks, encourage a swift incident response, and determine unauthorized access attempts before they become a problem.
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