We could talk for hours about the benefits of the digital era. Everything from business, to shopping, to entertainment and even our social lives have been improved by the digital era. But of course, we face a few negatives as well. Things like identity theft, data breaches, and significant losses to both individuals and businesses have become commonplace concerns. And those are just the financial aspects of cyber crime; the time and frustration spent on these events can be incalculable.
Is Artificial Intelligence the answer? Some experts have expressed the concern that Artificial Intelligence could be weaponized and used to automate cyber attacks on an enormous scale. Yes, this is theoretically a possibility. But Artificial Intelligence is also emerging as a powerful tool in the fight against cyber crime.
Detecting threats. In order to thwart an attack, an organization must first be able to detect it. Machine Learning is one aspect of Artificial Intelligence that shows promise in this area. As computer receive data, Machine Learning enables them not only to use algorithms, but to adapt them as well. As computers “learn” from information they are able spot potential problems and implement solutions.
The old way of sensing an attack relied upon past data, and limited improvisation. By contrast, Machine Learning will allow computers to work in real time to respond to the quickly-changing nature of cyber attacks as criminals become smarter and sneakier. In other words, Machine Learning can help us beat them at their own game.
Biometrics for password protection and authentication. Password protection and authentication remain areas of vulnerability for both individuals and businesses online. Biometrics seemed a promising solution, but hackers quickly adapt to new methods of account protection. For example, facial recognition software is too easily fooled by a photo of the account owner, which can easily be taken from a social media profile.
Here, too, the quick adaptability of Artificial Intelligence could provide answers. Developers are using AI to “teach” facial recognition systems to recognize user features, even as they change with age, facial hair, lighting, and so on. At the same time, systems are “learning” to detect the differences between a photo and the real person in front of a screen.
These are just a couple of examples, out of many, to illustrate how Artificial Intelligence will be shaping the future of internet security. For now, it’s still important to regularly update all security patches and continually evaluate your incident response protocol. Give us a call at 888-RING-MY-TECH if you have any questions about current internet security methods, and we’ll continue to bring you the latest updates in this exciting field.
