2024 promises to be a big year for breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and quantum computing, as more and more businesses use these cutting-edge technologies for innovation.
However, along with this technological boom comes an increase in sophisticated cyberthreats. The improper application of generative artificial intelligence, or “gen AI,” by hostile actors is a serious worry. Nowadays, businesses must deal with a wide range of intricate issues, such as an increase in ransomware attacks, a rise in state-sponsored cyber espionage, and the growing challenge of safeguarding the rapidly growing internet of things (IoT).
Simultaneously, as technology is abused, more sophisticated malware is being created for passive surveillance that targets particular software, systems, and vulnerabilities.
AI integration into cyberattacks is also expected to simplify these processes, lower expenses, and produce more advanced phishing and disinformation campaigns.
According to Mihoko Matsubara, chief cybersecurity strategist at IT services and consulting company NTT, “Cybercriminals and state actors are already taking advantage of generative AI to create phishing campaigns, write malicious code, or identify vulnerable systems to exploit.”
AI’s Counterpart in Cyber Defense
However, artificial intelligence (AI) will have an impact on cybersecurity tactics and technology by improving detection and analytical capabilities. The end result will be a better defensive response to disinformation, phishing, malware, and unusual behavior. It will also pave the path for automated, effective security operations, hence addressing workforce issues.
Cybersecurity professionals have also found generative AI useful for automating activities, data analysis, and vulnerability discovery. For example, NTT Security Holdings discovered that generative AI increased the efficiency and accuracy of detecting phishing sites quickly, according to Matsubara.
Nicole Carignan, vice president of strategic cyber AI at Darktrace, noted that Gen AI has made it possible to provide offensive capabilities to more rookie threat actors. The effectiveness of these instruments will be determined by those who direct them.
In the long run, she predicts the use of offensive AI throughout the attack life cycle. It could entail employing natural language processing or massive language models to comprehend written language and create contextualized spear phishing emails at scale.
Alternatively, it could entail using picture classification to speed up the exfiltration of important documents after an environment has been infiltrated and attackers are looking for valuable information.
“AI will make it possible for machines to deploy unique attacks at scale — always on, continuously morphing at machine speed,”
Key Trends for a Better Security Landscape
AI is expected to have an impact on both cybercriminal behavior and cybersecurity strategies by 2024. Four more critical developments that NTT cyber specialists believe will have a significant impact on the security landscape this year and beyond.
NTT Chief Information Security Officer David Beabout believes that maintaining faith in election results will be critical. The capacity to manually validate and log data in order to resolve problematic situations will become more crucial in the United States.
“This shift toward resiliency and result validation is expected to gain more prominence in 2024,”