AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is a field rooted in computer science and data, influenced by machine learning and deep learning. In essence, AI is a cognitive software application capable of functioning on datasets and algorithms, with the autonomy and response impulse of a human cybersecurity analyst.

You’ve probably interacted with AI before not even realizing it. Chatbots, which have been around since the 1960s, interact with consumers via phone or internet and are programmed to learn what a user wants. From directing incoming call traffic to troubleshooting technology, Chatbots complete mundane tasks and allow human resources to be utilized on more critical ones.

AI’s applications aren’t limited to just interfacing with users, however. Other mainstream practices include Augmented Intelligence, a collaborative model that leverages the best of AI and human intelligence; AI Augmented Automation, meant to streamline communication between IT teams and business partners by analyzing massive amounts of data and minimizing human-error in the decision-making process; and Intelligent Applications, the integration of AI into preexisting enterprise applications to automate, analyze, and predict more effectively.

The future of AI is even more promising. It’s projected that the global revenue from Artificial Intelligence between 2016 and 2025 will be upwards of $48 million U.S. dollars! While Cybersecurity applications for AI fall among the lower revenue producers, as of 2019, 69% of enterprises sampled by Capgemini believe AI will need to be among the arsenal of solutions leveraged against cyberattacks.

AI is expensive, why should I invest critical resources into implementing it?

It’s 2022, let’s be real; everything is expensive. Few things, though, are more expensive than trying to recover from a cyberattack that’s compromised data and security. In 2018, not only did 21% of surveyed businesses report a breach that lead to unauthorized access, but 20% of them estimated losses to be more than $50 million. The cost to pilot and scale AI is daunting, requiring the basics of money and manpower in addition to top-of-the-line technology, specifically to handle memory, data, and computing power. Through 2023, it’s expected that AI will be a driving force for major infrastructure changes. After successful AI Pilots, an organization must be ready to grow and develop alongside the framework.

To hearken back to childhood for a moment: slow and steady wins the race. Early adopters of AI relied on tried and true methodologies to implement AI, such as basic machine learning algorithms, leaving room for cybersecurity analysts to learn their new landscape before modifying the terrain of their AI defense systems with more intricate features. Successfully implemented and scaled AI solutions lowered the cost of responding to cybersecurity attacks an average of 12% for 64% of AI adoptees.

Plus, if AI solutions are truly out of reach, companies such as IBM and Turn-Key Technologies provide various SaaS (software-as-a-service) solutions that would not be as costly as implementing an AI framework.

Does AI really keep my employees, customers, and network safe?

If you were going outside on a cold day, you might decide to put on a hat and gloves to keep yourself warm; frostbite and hypothermia can be life-threatening, after all. While AI isn’t bundling anyone up, it is providing an additional layer of security for vulnerabilities.

One of the most prevalent AI security features in the past few years is biometrics. When you use your fingerprint or face to unlock a device or autofill a password, information about you is being stored for later access, and if someone were to try and hack your personal information, access would be denied for non-matching biometrics.

AI is also capable of storing other individual user information on an incredibly granular level and granting conditional access. Many enterprises require Multi-Factor Authentication to keep their data safe. By tracking location, device information, and more, AI is able to identify abnormalities in a user’s access pattern and make a decision to grant or deny access for each request, limiting the likelihood of an intruder accessing a user account.

Beyond the individual benefits, AI’s reputation rests in its ability to analyze, identify, detect, prevent, and respond to malware and spyware. Using functionalities such as Natural Language Processing, an AI system is able to research new and current trends from global sources, contextualize the findings, and enable cybersecurity teams to act on data-driven insights.

The technology used in AI is also able to complete continuous system scans to search for existing vulnerabilities and, as it becomes more advanced, can implement precautionary defenses or modify broken code. Staying ahead of the competition is one of AI’s top accomplishments.

Can’t Hackers use AI, too?

Unfortunately, yes. Adversarial AI, a term commonly used to differentiate a cybercriminal’s tools, is on the rise as AI itself becomes more widespread and accessible. Anything an AI cybersecurity solution can prevent, an AI cybercrime program will try to, and likely successfully, circumvent. But much like a seatbelt or an air bag, neither of which will stop a car crash on their own, AI will protect the system from devastating damage.

That’s why many companies can benefit from using a blend of human and technological methodologies. A team of talented cybersecurity analysts can continue to train and develop an AI system, leverage any insights provided, investigate reported abnormalities, and make more informed decisions all to ultimately combat cyberattacks.

Where should I start?

Luckily, you won’t need to start from the very beginning. After an initial consultation with [Company Name], we’ll identify your cybersecurity needs, recommend solutions, and implement them end-to-end. Our repertoire of services includes [Service Line One], [Service Line Two], and [Service Line Three]. And with AI solutions including [Solution One], [Solution Two], [Solution Three], [Solution Four], [Solution Five], and [Solution Six], we’re confident we can find the right AI solution for your business. Contact us today to take another step towards staying ahead of cybercrime.