Is AI hackable?

AI is offering us a rapid rate of evolution. The potential to change jobs, scientific discoveries and even human interaction is so significant that it is expected to boost global growth by 14% by 2030.² However, it also offers nefarious operators the chance to infiltrate and actively control our security, safety and services.

When introducing AI and machine learning into the tech ecosystem, we must implement greater protections across the whole network. With powerful cyber security protection, no data is compromised.

In a recent blog post, Bill Gates expressed concern about the ability of AI-generated code to search for, and capitalise on, software vulnerabilities.³ The risk to governments and private sector companies, he says, is so great that they need to invest in the latest tools for finding and fixing security flaws.⁴

One of AI’s most infamous threats to cyber security is its capability to impersonate people. When employees think they are interacting with a person, they become vulnerable to phishing attacks where organisational data is at risk. Security, Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) solutions remedy this risk by automating security tasks for faster response.

What can be done in this new threat landscape? Since AI can be used to create cyber attacks such as DDoS by creating algorithm-powered bot swarms, protection must stay a step ahead of the game. Services such as Managed DDoS provide this critical protection.⁵ Managed DDoS protection gives firms a rapid response to detected threats and redirection of malicious traffic so that other attacks, such as data breaches, are not masked by the surge.

Services such as network and endpoint security also give governments and companies the protection they need when managing threats to multiple, complex departments and divisions. Endpoint security can detect threats in the many computers, devices and apps employees and civil servants need to do their jobs. 

Protecting against the new threats posed by AI should not shift focus from securing the entire IT ecosystem but instead, help expose new weaknesses. Cyber security solutions still need to be applied with the whole picture in view, including the people, software, endpoints and infrastructure that constitute the threat surface.

The adoption of IoT could not have occurred without cyber security. Today cyber security solutions have allowed for the proliferation of IoT devices and an explosion in their market value to such an extent that by 2030, their worth is expected to be US$500 billion. What’s more, when cyber security is not considered a concern, IT executives would be willing to increase their IoT spend by 20%-40%.⁶

To embrace digital transformation and the transition to a hyperconnected world, companies must consider cyber security an essential element in progress. Robust cyber security allows for innovation without risk. 

Cyber security brings added benefits beyond innovation. Since governance is a core pillar of ESG, companies reaching for sustainability goals can ensure progress with robust and secure data governance. Protecting private and business data is not just good for sustainability but also helps ensure compliance with data protection laws, in turn preserving business reputation.

While digitalisation allows governments and companies to embrace AI technologies, it also increases the threat surface and presents a risk to data security. Predictive cyber security allows unbridled innovation, such as those offered by AI, without the hindrance of risk to business or customer data. As a result, sustainable business growth is guaranteed.

Build sustainability and strong governance with world-class cyber security services: