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Artificial intelligence is seen as a force-multiplier that could help organizations more effectively use their information security resources to face the growing threat of cyberattacks. But they are not alone-the bad actors too may be sizing up AI for their purposes too. Karen Epper Hoffman reports.
While artificial intelligence (AI) isn't exactly the Harvey Dent of emerging cybersecuritybeneficial technology, it does boast a certain duality that might make the villainous Two-Face envious - its appeal and promise lure cyberwarriors and malfeasants alike.
Both private- and public-sector concerns are increasingly looking to AI to help them more quickly and effectively weed through the tremendous amount of potentially suspicious incidents and activities traditional systems might discover. "We monitor IT trends like AI and data analytics, to provide us with indicators of where the technology marketplace is investing and can expect significant advancements," said Frank Konieczny, chief technology officer at the Air Force, in a recent release on AI research conducted with IBM Corp.
Federal technology workers recently participated in an IBM Corp.-sponsored study about their plans for the use of artificial intelligence, managed by MeriTalk, a public-private partnership. Nine out of 10 federal IT decision-makers believe that AI will help them be more prepared for real-world cyberattacks, according to the recent survey of 150 government IT security professionals, dubbed the 'Federal Cyber AI IQ Test'. Additionally, a full 87 percent of respondents said that AI would improve the efficiency of the cyber security workforce, and 91 percent note their agency could utilize AI to monitor human activity and deter insider threats.
Ian Doyle, executive security advisor for IBM and a former employee at U.S. Army Cyber Command, sees artificial intelligence a natural way to "augment cognitive capabilities, and enhance and assist on a greater scale, or outside the box."
"From a cybersecurity perspective, we're always looking for ways to improve the system," Doyle says. "As humans, we only have so much power, and there are all these other relevant pieces of information that no one sees. This is why AI is taking over." Current statistics place the shortfall of cybersecurity workers at 1.5 million, but that number could double in the next five years, according to some estimates, as cybercrime outpaces IT security development. Research firm...