How to Use AI in Cybersecurity: Pros and Cons

AI significantly impacts business cybersecurity by quickly analyzing data to detect cyber threats and learning from past incidents to prevent future attacks. This helps companies respond faster to cyber threats, enhancing their overall cybersecurity posture. Research by Exploding Topics shows that in 2024, 77% of companies are using or exploring AI, with 83% making it a top priority.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a double-edged sword in cybersecurity, offering both enhanced defense mechanisms and new avenues for cyber threats. Below are recent data-backed examples illustrating the financial losses, operational disruptions, and reputational damage associated with AI-related cybersecurity risks:

The International Monetary Fund reported that the risk of extreme losses from cyber incidents has increased, with such losses potentially reaching up to $2.5 billion.

In July 2024, a software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike caused widespread system failures, leading to significant operational disruptions across various sectors, including airlines, broadcasters, and healthcare services.

In 2017, the NotPetya ransomware attack caused over $10 billion in damages, affecting major organizations like Maersk and FedEx, and leading to substantial reputational harm.

These incidents underscore the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures, especially as AI technologies become more integrated into both defense and attack strategies.

This blog post explores how AI improves threat detection, automates incident response, manages vulnerabilities, and addresses sophisticated phishing attacks. It also covers data privacy and implementation costs, helping organizations strengthen their defenses. Additionally, you can learn how integrating Keepnet security awareness training can benefit your company.

How AI Is Used in Cybersecurity?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used in cybersecurity to rapidly analyze data and detect potential threats by identifying unusual patterns and anomalies, such as strange login attempts, unexpected data transfers, irregular network traffic, and changes from typical user behavior.

AI helps predict and prevent future cyberattacks by learning from previous incidents, thus strengthening organizations' overall security measures. It automates routine security tasks like monitoring network traffic and scanning for vulnerabilities, allowing human analysts to focus on more complex threats.

Additionally, AI in cybersecurity provides real-time insights and analysis, enabling quicker response to potential security breaches. However, adopting AI for cybersecurity involves a considerable investment in cutting-edge technology and specialized personnel, which can be expensive.

Despite these challenges, AI's ability to efficiently and effectively enhance security processes makes it an important tool for safeguarding organizations against cyber threats.

Top 6 Uses of AI in Cybersecurity for Preventing Threats

AI revolutionizes cybersecurity by providing advanced methods to prevent and respond to threats. Here are the top 6 uses of AI in cybersecurity for preventing cyber threats:

1. Real-Time Threat Detection: AI continuously scans and analyzes network traffic to detect suspicious activities instantly, helping to identify and mitigate threats as they occur.
2. Anomaly Detection: AI identifies unusual patterns in user behavior, such as unexpected access to sensitive data, which can indicate potential insider threats or compromised accounts.
3. Automated Incident Response: AI can automate the response to detected threats, such as isolating infected devices or blocking malicious IP addresses, to minimize damage and prevent the spread of attacks.
4. Threat Forecasting: AI analyzes historical data to predict potential security threats, enabling organizations to proactively enhance their defenses with data protection AI.
5. Security Monitoring: AI enhances security monitoring by analyzing vast amounts of data from various sources, providing comprehensive visibility into the security landscape. By predicting threats and integrating Phishing Protection AI, organizations can proactively strengthen their defenses.
6. Vulnerability Management: AI helps identify and prioritize vulnerabilities in systems and applications, enabling timely fixes and reducing the risk of exploitation by attackers.

What Are The Advantages of AI in Cybersecurity?

AI brings several important benefits to cybersecurity, making it easier to protect digital environments. Here are the main advantages:

1. Proactive Threat Detection: AI continuously monitors and analyzes network activity, identifying potential threats before they can cause damage. This early detection helps prevent cyberattacks and minimizes risks, ensuring a stronger defense against emerging threats.
2. Reduction of Human Error: By automating routine cybersecurity tasks like monitoring network activity and generating reports, AI reduces human error by ensuring these tasks are performed consistently and without the risk of mistakes from tiredness. This leads to more reliable and consistent security operations, enhancing overall protection.
3. Scalability: AI systems, including Data Protection AI, can efficiently handle large volumes of data and adapt to expanding network sizes without requiring additional human resources. This scalability makes AI a robust solution for businesses growing their IT infrastructure, ensuring comprehensive security coverage and advanced data protection.
4. Enhanced Threat Intelligence: AI aggregates and analyzes threat information from multiple sources, providing a detailed and comprehensive view of the threat landscape. By integrating Phishing Protection AI, organizations can stay ahead of cybercriminals by updating their security measures based on the latest intelligence, ensuring ongoing protection.

What Are The Risks of AI in Cybersecurity?

While AI in cybersecurity offers significant benefits, it also presents several risks that organizations need to consider.

First, AI systems can sometimes incorrectly flag legitimate activities as threats. This leads to unnecessary disruptions and wasted resources as security teams investigate non-issues.

Second, cybercriminals can trick AI systems by feeding them misleading data. This causes the AI to miss real threats or mistakenly identify safe activities as malicious.

Third, the extensive data collection and analysis required for AI to function effectively in cybersecurity can raise significant privacy issues. This can potentially expose sensitive information to misuse or unauthorized access.

Lastly, developing, implementing, and maintaining AI-driven cybersecurity systems can be expensive. It requires large investments in technology and specialized personnel, which may not be available for all organizations.

How Is AI Used in Cybercrime?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a powerful tool for cybercriminals, enabling them to conduct more sophisticated and effective attacks. Here are 6 key ways AI is used in cybercrime:

1. Automating Phishing Attacks: Cybercriminals use AI to create highly convincing phishing emails and messages by analyzing past communications and mimicking the style and language of legitimate sources. This increases the likelihood of tricking individuals into disclosing sensitive information.
2. Developing Complex Malware: AI helps in creating more sophisticated and flexible malware that can bypass traditional security measures. AI-driven malware can learn from its environment and adjust its behavior to avoid detection by antivirus programs.
3. Password Cracking: AI-powered tools can efficiently crack passwords by analyzing patterns and using machine learning algorithms to predict and test potential passwords much faster than manual methods.
4. Deepfake Technology: Cybercriminals use AI to create realistic deepfake videos and audio recordings, which can be used for blackmail, spreading disinformation, or manipulating public opinion.
5. Bypassing Security Systems: AI in cybersecurity is used to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in security systems. Cybercriminals can train AI models to recognize patterns in security protocols and find ways to bypass them without detection.
6. Stealing Sensitive Information: AI assists cybercriminals in searching through large volumes of data to find and gather valuable information, such as personal data, financial details, and intellectual property. This information can then be sold on the dark web or used for further criminal activities.

Watch the video below to see examples of how hackers use AI to launch cyber attacks and learn best practices to mitigate these risks.

What Are The Security Concerns That Are Driving AI Bans Among Businesses

Businesses are increasingly cautious about the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) due to several significant security concerns driving AI bans.

Here are the key security concerns driving AI bans in businesses:

Table 1: The list of security concerns that are driving AI bans among businesses.

These concerns are leading some businesses to ban or limit AI use in favor of clearer and more secure alternatives.

How Businesses Can Benefit From AI Without Concern

Businesses can benefit from AI in cybersecurity without significant concerns by adopting strategic measures that ensure security, clarity, and ethical use. By addressing key areas, organizations can leverage AI's advantages while minimizing risks. Implementing these measures helps businesses fully utilize AI's potential safely and effectively.

Information Reliability

Ensuring information reliability is important for businesses to benefit from AI without concerns. Implementing robust data validation and verification processes helps ensure that AI systems use accurate and trustworthy data. Reliable data enhances the quality of AI-driven decisions and reduces the risk of errors. By maintaining high standards of data accuracy and regularly auditing data sources, businesses can build trust in their AI systems among stakeholders.

Clarity of Reasoning

For businesses to leverage AI confidently, it is important to ensure that AI systems provide clear reasoning. When AI algorithms and decision-making processes are easy to understand, stakeholders can more easily trust the outcomes. This understanding allows users to see how AI reaches its conclusions, which builds confidence in the system. Moreover, clear reasoning in AI helps identify and fix any incorrectnesses or errors, ensuring that decisions are accurate and fair.

Safeguarding Confidentiality

To benefit from AI in cybersecurity without concerns, businesses must prioritize safeguarding confidentiality. This involves implementing advanced encryption techniques and strict access controls to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data by external hackers and internal employees who do not need such access. Compliance with data protection regulations helps maintain customer trust and avoid legal issues. Regular audits and continuous monitoring are important to detect and address potential vulnerabilities, providing ongoing protection for confidential information.

Scalability

AI offers significant scalability benefits for businesses, allowing them to expand operations without proportionally increasing resources. Scalable AI systems can handle growing data volumes and more complex tasks efficiently, ensuring consistent performance. This flexibility helps businesses adapt to changing demands and market conditions without significant additional costs. By implementing scalable AI-powered security solutions with robust security and reliability measures, businesses can leverage these benefits without concerns about compromising their operations.

Ethical Implications

Addressing ethical implications ensures businesses can benefit from AI-powered security solutions without compromising integrity and responsibility. By establishing clear ethical guidelines for AI development and deployment, companies can ensure their AI systems are used responsibly and without incorrectness. Implementing thorough oversight and regular audits helps identify and mitigate any unethical outcomes, maintaining public trust. Businesses prioritizing ethical AI practices can leverage AI's benefits while avoiding potential legal and reputational risks.

Integration

Seamlessly integrating AI-powered security solutions into existing systems allows businesses to benefit from AI without concerns about disruption. By ensuring that AI tools work well with current workflows and technologies, companies can enhance operational efficiency and productivity. Smooth integration minimizes the risk of implementation issues and reduces the adjustment period for employees, fostering a more supportive adoption environment. Additionally, well-integrated AI systems can provide real-time insights and automation benefits without compromising the stability and security of existing infrastructures.

Ongoing Support

To fully benefit from AI in cybersecurity without concerns, businesses need dedicated technical support and regular maintenance. This includes providing consistent software updates, applying patches to fix vulnerabilities, and implementing system enhancements. These measures ensure that AI systems remain effective and secure against evolving threats.

Ongoing training and support for employees help them stay proficient in using AI tools, reducing the risk of errors and maximizing productivity. Additionally, having dedicated support resources available helps quickly address any issues that arise, ensuring minimal disruption to business operations.

Leveraging AI With Keepnet's Security Awareness Training for Your Business

Organizations can effectively leverage AI while addressing security concerns by using Keepnet's AI-Powered Security Awareness Training. AI offers significant benefits in efficiency and decision-making, but it also raises issues related to data privacy, security, and ethics.

Cybercriminals increasingly use AI to create sophisticated social engineering attacks, exploiting human psychology. According to Sacred Heart University, 98% of all cyber-attacks involve social engineering and 95% of cyber incidents are linked to human error.

Keepnet's training solutions help mitigate these risks by training employees to recognize and respond to AI-powered threats. This ensures that businesses can safely and confidently utilize AI, enhancing their overall cybersecurity posture.

Here are the ways how Keepnet Security Awareness Training can help your organization mitigate the risks of AI-Powered threats:

• Boost Cybersecurity Posture: Strengthen your business's cybersecurity defenses by integrating AI-driven insights with targeted training programs. This approach identifies vulnerabilities, predicts potential threats, and reduces human error. Training employees to recognize and respond to AI-driven threats ensures robust protection against sophisticated cyberattacks, increasing reporting success by up to 92%.
• Protect Employees from AI Threats: Educate employees on the risks associated with AI-driven cyber threats, such as phishing and malware, using engaging and up-to-date training modules. This awareness reduces the likelihood of successful attacks and enhances overall security, reducing your human risk score from 90% to 10%.
• Seamless Training Delivery & Reporting: Deliver training via SMS to ensure inclusivity, especially for employees in industries with limited internet access. Utilize advanced reporting features to track progress and effectiveness and automate training assignments to ensure timely and relevant education.
• User-Centric Training Experience: Build a strong security culture with a trusted platform used by over 2 million people. Access 2000+ training content in 30+ languages from top providers, including learning paths, infographics, posters, and SCORM-compliant materials. Motivate employees with personalized certificates and gamification elements like leaderboards.
• Regulatory Compliance and Role-based Training: Ensure compliance with regulations such as HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI through targeted training modules.Enhance job performance and meet specific organizational needs with role-based training. Provide additional materials like posters and infographics to reinforce learning and maintain regulatory standards.
• Boost Training Completion: Raise training completion rates by up to 99% with Keepnet Security Awareness Training.

Keepnet Security Awareness Training helps businesses utilize AI benefits while maintaining security and compliance, protecting their operations and employees from evolving cyber threats.

Watch the video below to learn more about how Keepnet Security Awareness Training can help defend your business from AI-evolved cyber threats.

Editor's Note: This blog was updated on December 9, 2024.