The Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Cyber Defense

While artificial intelligence could potentially introduce a myriad of its own cybersecurity threats, its speed and precision over that of humans in detecting threats and abnormalities can prove incredibly advantageous against cyber criminals. Machine learning algorithms can be employed to train computers to detect “bad behavior,” aka a neural network is tricked into intentionally and incorrectly modifying the input. However, this is a double-edged sword, as with the introduction of artificial intelligence and machine learning into the world of cybersecurity to better protect against threats and stop cyberattacks, it can also be used to create more complex, adaptable, and malicious software to be used in those very cyberattacks.
AI for cybersecurity is used by many Big Tech powerhouses such as Microsoft, Google, IBM Research, and many others. Increasingly, humans are being replaced by machines when it comes to ensuring company-wide security. What is interesting to note is that using artificial intelligence to increase defense against cyberattacks is a cyclical process: when an AI network successfully responds to a cyber attack, those who deployed the AI network are required to analyze this response and understand the outcomes, which strengthens their understanding of cyber attacks as well as how artificial intelligence networks handle them, which makes them more capable of strengthening the artificial intelligence networks to further protect against cyber attacks, and as a result the artificial intelligence networks prevent more attacks and gather more data.
Thus, artificial intelligence is a highly valuable asset in handling cyberattacks. By the nature of AI networks, they will only continue to get better at detecting threats, and they will always be faster and more precise than humans, who are naturally subject to error.