Intelligent Tech Channels Issue 44 | Page 67

FINAL WORD
Hacking into a network used to take months . But with AI and Machine Learning technologies on their side , cybercriminals can see this time span reduced to a matter of days .

Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) technology is a powerful technology and because of this , it holds great potential for exploitation by cybercriminals . Considering this , the only way that security leaders can stay ahead of bad actors is by gaining a true understanding of how this technology can be weaponised . Then , they can begin to develop effective strategies for confronting AI threats head-on .

Malicious uses of AI technology
As AI grows in adoption and sophistication , cybercriminals are looking for ways to seize upon its potential . The Electronic Frontier Foundation was already warning about potential malicious uses of AI back in 2018 , including threats to digital , physical and political security . And now , AI precursors combined with swarm technology can be used to infiltrate a network and steal data .
Hacking into a network used to take months . But with AI and Machine Learning ( ML ) technologies on their side , cybercriminals can see this time span reduced to a matter of days . As more AI-enhanced attacks are orchestrated , the techniques used in these events become increasingly available and inexpensive for more and more cybercriminals .
Automated and scripted techniques can also exponentially increase the speed and scale of a cyberattack . The ability to automate the entire process of mapping networks , discovering targets , finding vulnerabilities and launching a custom attack significantly increases the volume of attacks even a single bad actor can pull off .
Complex networks often lack a cohesive security strategy
Often , network security architectures are not designed to stand up to these types of
INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS Issue 44 67