Artificial intelligence (AI) has helped businesses in every aspect of their operations. And the biggest contribution of AI to businesses is its role in cybersecurity.
An increase in cybersecurity attacks proves that business owners should invest more in their security. Recently, there has been a rise by 150% in attacks against critical infrastructure last 2020. And the threats continue to increase even after a year. Because of this, industrial control systems (ICS) are more vulnerable now than ever.
This called for a more stringent CIP compliance. If you’re not familiar, CIP is a set of guidelines that concerned companies must follow. They are created by the National Electrical Reliability Center to help companies with their cybersecurity management plans.
ICS security indeed needs to be improved, and AI can help industrial companies with this. Understanding how AI helps with your company’s cybersecurity is the first step to preventing huge losses. In this article, we highlight six ways cybersecurity benefits from Artificial Intelligence.
Understanding the Basics in Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is a technology that can perform tasks based on acquired and generated data.
AI does not mean robots who want to take over the world, as can be seen in Terminator. Contradictory to popular beliefs, artificial intelligence is used mostly in businesses. They operate in three ways:
- Assisted Intelligence – enhances daily human operations
- Augmented Intelligence – aids people in performing activities that are otherwise impossible
- Autonomous Intelligence – machines, such as self-driving cars, that work independently
Before they can work, people need to input a mechanism that lets them understand and use the knowledge they acquire. Basically, artificial intelligence is human intelligence in the form of machines.
How Does Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity Work?
When hackers try to access a company’s systems, they leave digital trails known as intrusion signatures. Compilation of large databases of digital footprints helps in the detection of vulnerabilities and patterns of attacks. AI is programmed to identify these intrusions as they happen if there is an available database of signatures.
Hackers gain access to devices, such as video cameras and printers, with the use of default login credentials. This is not surprising at all. Statistics from Google revealed that 52% of people don’t change their passwords.
And when they have successfully accessed these devices, they can now infiltrate the rest of the network.
With AI-driven cybersecurity, networks are scanned for this kind of vulnerability. This helps companies dodge major losses due to cybercrime damages.
Benefits of Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity
When it comes to cybersecurity, you should focus more on prevention rather than the recovery from damages. No company would want to spend a total of $6 trillion for the damages it costs.
Luckily, artificial intelligence helps you avoid such expensive costs. Here are 6 ways that AI improves your cybersecurity system.
1. Detects Cyber Threats Accurately
In the field of cybersecurity, it’s important that your system is able to detect cyber threats beforehand. This gives companies the time they need to prepare for incoming threats. Machine learning can greatly assist you in detecting these attacks.
ML helps systems adjust their algorithms to maximize their performance. This means that computers can spot threats more precisely than a person can.
Companies should be proactive when it comes to cybersecurity threats. And traditional technologies are of no help with this since they rely heavily on prior outcomes. They are unable to react quickly and risk companies of potential data breaches.
2. Vulnerability Management Becomes Simpler
When it comes to cybersecurity, your company relies heavily on your IT department’s security system. But your IT security systems also need protection from cyber threats. Just last year, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency detected over 2,000 cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
Although cybersecurity experts are of great help, it is impossible that they manage this huge number of vulnerabilities on their own.
Incorporating AI technology helps you quickly examine your IT systems for possible flaws. More specifically, machine learning makes it easier to keep yourself updated with the newest development in the field.
With this in mind, you will be able to predict and prevent certain cyber attacks.
3. Lessens Chances of Human Error
Hackers never use the same methods twice when they are trying to hack into a system. But your security practices remain the same. Doing the same task over and over again can be tiring.
At least to the cybersecurity expert you hired.
When this happens, there is a good chance that they may overlook an important task. This usually leads to your network becoming more exposed to threats. After all, 88% of the time that companies experience data breaches is because of human error.
By incorporating AI into your system, you never have to worry about human error. When dealing with cybersecurity, you should make sure that there are fewer mistakes in the processes. AI technology is more thorough and precise with performing tasks.
4. Protect Passwords Through Improved Authentication System
In some cases, passwords are what prevents hackers from taking a hold of your accounts. And even with the use of biometric authentication, it’s still vulnerable to hacking. Today, AI is being used to improve the accuracy of biometric authentication.
For example, face ID in most Apple phones is powered by AI. This is how it works. Infrared sensors and neural engines are used to create digital models of a user’s face. This helps users avoid unwanted access to their phones.
It even works at night and with changes in your facial features such as wearing glasses.
5. Helps in Securing Network
There are two key aspects of network security:
- Development of security policies
- Identifying your company’s network topography
For humans, these tasks are usually time-consuming. When you use AI technology, though, their process time is greatly reduced. The tasks are done through monitoring and understanding network patterns. The technology also recommends security rules that need to be implemented.
6. Enhances Behavior Analytics
By examining how users regularly use their devices, ML programs can learn and develop a pattern of their behavior. The program has the ability to determine whether or not a behavior is unusual for a user. And when it identifies the behavior as unusual, it flags the user as suspicious.
Activities identified as unusual can be in a form of:
- Large online purchases shipped to a different address
- Downloading massive amounts of files
- A sudden shift in typing speed
Conclusion
Artificial Intelligence can work many wonders for your cybersecurity system. Aside from the benefits above, having a good cybersecurity system improves customer loyalty. Since companies also handle customer information, you are responsible for whatever happens to them. While AI offers a wide range of benefits to your cybersecurity, it should not replace human aspects in your company. The best practice is still the combination of humans and technology. This way, you’ll be able to utilize both of their best qualities.
