Artificial Intelligence In Cybersecurity: Pros and Cons
Artificial intelligence or AI has made its way into many industries, from online education to healthcare. Cybersecurity falls into one of those fields that have started taking advantages of the emerging AI technologies. Surveys show that over 80% of telecommunication businesses use AI for security, which proves its significant role in this sector.
Why Cybersecurity Needs AI
Machines with artificial intelligence algorithms are capable of solving complex problems at
extremely high speeds. We are talking about rates that are impossible for humans to match or outrun. In that sense, AI systems can complete tasks much faster than any team of experts could ever do.
Once applied to cybersecurity, artificial intelligence can be used to detect and defend against highly evolved threats, and scan systems for unusual activity at a much higher speed than ever before. The only downside to applying AI in cybersecurity is that hackers are also using these technologies to their advantage.
Therefore, we need AI in cybersecurity to fight against AI-powered threats, since no other
software or team of experts could stand up to these machines. Without further ado, here are the pros and cons of integrating artificial intelligence technology in cybersecurity.
The Pros of AI Development
1. Identifying Behavior Patterns
AI systems use advanced machine learning techniques to scan networks and devices for
unusual activities. AI can detect strange behavior patterns quickly with zero chance of making an error. This makes it highly efficient at detecting threats way before they can evolve into serious attacks. With AI onboard, cybersecurity systems can spot vulnerabilities way faster and monitor patterns at extremely high speed to prevent any unwanted consequences.
2. Better Performance
AI surpasses human capabilities in every way, allowing it to do tasks with greater speed and precision. In cybersecurity, this level of capability is required to target risks and notice odd behavior in a timely manner. In addition to enabling incredibly rapid monitoring, AI removes human mistake and can run nonstop, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
3. Biometrics
Lastly, AI technologies are largely used in biometric identification systems. Nowadays, every smartphone has a set of biometric features, including fingerprint ID, facial and voice recognition.
While these are some of the lower end examples, AI biometrics can be used to protect larger networks and systems of devices as well.
The Cons of AI Development
1. Used for Malicious Purposes
While AI’s capabilities seem like nothing but a positive thing for the cybersecurity industry, the bad news is that hackers are also using the same technology to their advantage. Since AI can be used for malicious purposes, it can make future cybersecurity attacks much more difficult to defend.
2. Malicious Use of Biometrics
AI-powered biometrics can also be used for malicious purposes, including unauthorized
collecting and sharing of sensitive data. Malicious biometric systems can send detailed
information about your physical features to any third party that might find this data useful.
3. High Price
Another downside of AI technology is that it is costly to set up and integrate into security
systems. Companies and organizations that cannot afford such a massive upgrade will sooner or later find themselves lagging behind in cybersecurity measures. This can leave them exposed to a plethora of undefeatable AI-powered threats.
4 Data Exploitation
Lastly, the development of AI technologies has opened the door to more detailed data collection techniques. AI makes it easy to gather and process data at an unbelievable speed, which was unimaginable only a decade ago. The downside of this development is that third parties can easily use AI to gather data and raise privacy and security concerns for other organizations and individuals.
Extra Layers of Protection
There is no doubt that AI has changed numerous industries even though it is still developing and advancing as we speak. An AI solution could make a significant difference in any security network. However, it is important to integrate other security measures, including the use of a VPN, frequent network scanning, and enabling proper authentication procedures. When it comes to the future of AI in cybersecurity, we can be sure that this technology will be used on both the positive and the negative sides.
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