What is the Role of AI in Cybersecurity - Explained in Deep

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Every day, companies are dealing with more and more cyber threats. It's a big challenge for cybersecurity experts because there aren't enough people to handle all the work. But there's good news: Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help. AI can do repetitive tasks, freeing up humans to focus on the important stuff. As a result, AI in cybersecurity makes the job more attractive and lets experts tackle immense problems.

What is AI in Cybersecurity?

In current times, there's been exciting progress in AI, especially in a field called generative AI. This type of AI can make all sorts of text, pictures, and videos. Some tools can do multiple things simultaneously, like mixing text and images. For example, there's ChatGPT that lets you chat and ask questions like you would with a chatbot. Then there's DALL-E, which makes pictures based on what you write.
 

When we look ahead, there are future AI models that might do even more. As a result, they create content for many different situations. Big names like OpenAI and Google are doing well with their latest models, GPT-4 and Gemini. But there's still a considerable debate about whether we'll ever have AI, which is savvier than humans. It's an interesting question with no clear answer yet.

Difference Between AI and Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity with AI will not replace human experts because there's always a need for savvy thinking and handling tricky problems at work. However, AI helps a lot by sorting through tons of data, spotting patterns, and giving insights from loads of security info. As a result, it could take ages to use old-school security methods.

Before AI, experts used tools that matched network data with known threats to catch cyber dangers. When a threat is spotted, the tool would sound an alert, telling the expert to take action to stop it.
 

This old way was okay against known threats but not so significant with new ones (Zero-Day threats). It often gave false alarms, sending experts on unnecessary hunts. Also, a lot of cybersecurity work was done manually, meaning experts had to spend lots of time digging through logs to find signs of a problem. AI fixes these issues in cybersecurity and more. As it gets adequate, it'll change how we do cybersecurity in prominent ways.

AI Cybersecurity Threats

Generative AI, especially Large Language Models (LLMs), is impressive at making all sorts of believable content for different situations. However, it could be better. Here are some big problems with it:
 

• It can make mistakes and say things that aren't true, 'AI hallucination.'
• AI in cybersecurity threats can be biased and easily influenced by tricky questions.
• It can create harmful content if pushed, like through 'prompt injection attacks.'
• It can mess up by using sinful data to train it, known as 'data poisoning.'
• One of the main worries with LLMs is 'prompt injection attacks.' As a result, when someone tricks the AI into doing something wrong, like making offensive stuff or revealing secrets.

Another issue is 'data poisoning attacks,' where inadequate data messes up the AI's results. As LLMs are used more, these risks will grow, especially when they share data with other apps and services.

Role of AI in Cybersecurity

Instead of taking over from security experts, AI works best when it helps them work better. Here are some concepts that will aid in using AI for cybersecurity.
 

• Identity and Access Management: AI helps experts understand how users usually log in and can spot any weird login patterns that might be a sign of trouble. It can also ensure users use two-factor authentication or reset their passwords when needed. If there's a chance that someone's account is hacked, AI can block that user from logging in.
• Endpoint Security: AI helps find all the devices used in a company and keeps them updated with the latest security data. It can also discover and stop malware or signs of a cyberattack on company devices.
• Cloud Security: Many companies use cloud services, and AI helps keep an eye on risks and problems across all the different cloud services they use.
• Cyberthreat Detection: AI works with special software to find cyberthreats all over a company's systems. It can spot strange behavior on devices, emails, and apps, tell the security team, or even fix things automatically.
• Information Protection: AI helps find critical data and ensures it's kept safe, whether on the company's computers or in the cloud. It also observes anyone trying to take data from the company without permission.
• Incident Investigation and Response: When there's a security incident, AI helps experts sort through lots of data to figure out what's going on. It can even translate complicated tech stuff into everyday language and answer questions to make things easier for the team.
   

Here, we’ve gone through the use of AI in cybersecurity. Now, move further.

Popular Tools Using Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity

Follow the below section to learn some familiar tools:
 

• Next-Generation Firewalls with AI: These firewalls use AI to find new cyber threats by learning from lots of data about threats.
• AI-Powered Endpoint Security: AI helps keep individual devices safe by spotting problems like outdated software or suspicious activity that could be a sign of a cyberattack.
• AI for Network Security: AI helps systems watch over networks for sneaky attempts to get in without permission.
• Cloud Security with AI: With so many companies using different cloud services, AI helps keep an eye on all to find and fix any security risks.
• Protecting IoT Devices with AI: AI watches over smart devices (like smart thermostats or security cameras) to catch any attempts to hack them.
• XDR and SIEM Solutions: These gather lots of security info from different sources and use AI to make sense, helping security teams spot problems quickly.

Merits of AI in Cybersecurity

The following section will discuss some merits. After that, we will elaborate on the challenges section.
 

• Better at Finding Threats Quickly: AI is good at spotting unusual patterns in lots of data, helping find cyber threats faster. It also helps respond to security problems quickly, reducing the impact of attacks.
• Can Catch Tricky Attacks: AI can spot new and tricky cyber attacks that older methods might miss. It learns from past attacks, getting better at stopping future ones.
• Less Work for Security Experts: AI observes routine security tasks, like checking network traffic and alerts. Moreover, it frees up experts to focus on more complex security issues, making things run smoother and faster.
• Keeps Watch 24/7: AI-powered systems keep an eye on security all the time and can respond automatically, ensuring organizations stay protected day and night. As a result, it helps prevent breaches and data loss.

What Challenges Users Face in AI in Cybersecurity?

Now, it’s time to comprehend some challenges.
 

• Privacy and Ethics Concerns: Using AI in cybersecurity relies a lot on historical data, which can raise concerns about privacy, confidentiality, and ethical use of data.
• Adversarial Attacks: Cybercriminals might try to exploit AI weaknesses to trick systems, creating confusion and bypassing detection.
• Algorithm Bias: AI can sometimes be biased based on the data it learns from, leading to unfair actions or incorrect results.
• Need for Human Expertise: While AI is helpful, human experts are still crucial for understanding complex situations, verifying alerts, and making the right decisions in cybersecurity.

AI Cybersecurity Companies

The following section will discuss some of the top AI cybersecurity solutions. Just read and go through the following list.
 

• Darktrace
• Cybereason
• Advanced Threat Intelligence
• CrowdStrike
• Automation
• IBM Watson for cybersecurity
• Network security

Conclusion

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is like a strong helper in cybersecurity. It's great at finding threats, responding fast, and keeping an eye on security all the time. By analyzing lots of data, spotting patterns, and learning about new threats, AI has made cybersecurity better for companies. But using AI in cybersecurity also comes with some challenges. We should keep data private, defend against sneaky attacks, avoid bias in AI decisions, and remember that human experts still play a crucial role in cybersecurity.