In the modern business world, staying on top of the latest technological advances is no longer enough; professionals must quickly understand the implications of the newest tech innovations on their business and take decisive action to use them to their advantage while minimizing risks. One rapidly evolving area of interest to businesses in all industries is generative artificial intelligence (AI).
While many companies already trust these tools with tasks such as email generation and photo editing, many other potential uses can help businesses work more effectively and efficiently. On the other hand, there are AI applications that can compromise a business’s data, security, and finances. Unfortunately, generative AI makes cybercriminals’ work easier, and even well-meaning regulatory efforts cannot do much to stop the malicious use of the technology.
AI’s potential for harm is so great that some consider the risk to be as concerning as that of biological or chemical weapons. Here’s what every business needs to know about the impact of generative AI on cybersecurity.
Generative AI’s Negative Impact On Cybersecurity
From writing malicious code to facilitating phishing attacks and creating deepfakes, generative AI presents cybersecurity professionals with complex challenges.
Writing Malicious Code
Bad actors have already found ways to jailbreak AI tools to unlock restricted functionality, and even the most basic generative AI tools have been used to write code that can be used for processing stolen data and other criminal activities.
Phishing
The large language models underlying generative AI tools can be used to refine phishing emails.
These phishing emails have traditionally been written by bad actors abroad and use poor grammar and other telltale signs that they originate from something other than a reputable financial institution, as claimed.
Still, AI tools can help make them far more convincing. They can also help cybercriminals use persuasive language that is more likely to get their victims to comply with their demands.
Adversarial Attacks
Cybercriminals use generative AI to craft subtle but very effective modifications to existing data and content, including code and images, that can evade detection and compromise the security of different devices and applications.
This can cause problems with everything from smartphone facial recognition to self-driving vehicles.
Data Poisoning
Another concern is data poisoning, with generative AI being used to create corrupted or fake data that can reduce the quality of machine learning algorithms.
This negatively impacts the reliability and accuracy of systems that depend on data-driven decisions, such as medical diagnosis and fraud detection systems.
Deepfakes & Voicefakes
The generation of video, voice, and photo content by AI tools has taken great leaps forward recently, and regulators are starting to take notice of the potential for the technology to be exploited.
Disinformation campaigns remain a major concern, particularly when elections are looming, as is the possibility of the technology being used for non-consensual pornography.
Another major issue cybersecurity professionals must stay ahead of is the use of voicefakes in attacks targeting private individuals and attempting to breach bank accounts that rely on users’ voices for authentication.
Generative AI’s Positive Impact On Cybersecurity
Although there are numerous ways that generative AI can be used to facilitate attacks, these tools can also help cybersecurity professionals be more effective and productive when it comes to keeping your business safe.
Here is a look at some ways this technology can be useful in the hands of security experts.
Improving Defensive Cybersecurity
AI and machine learning have enhanced routine cybersecurity tasks such as phishing prevention and malware detection.
Tools have been developed that use the technology to extract security event logs and lists of running processes to find indications of compromised security.
In contrast, large language models have been used in reverse engineering to help decipher code functions. Even chatbots have proven helpful for creating scripts to analyze and remediate threats.
Cybersecurity experts are also using the technology for many of the same purposes it is being used elsewhere in the business world, such as aiding in composing emails and automating report writing so that professionals have more time to focus on keeping their clients safe.
Red Teaming
Another area where chatbots and language learning models have been helpful is red teaming, which entails testing a company’s cybersecurity measures by simulating the tactics used by cybercriminals.
This allows them to find and correct security flaws before malicious actors exploit them. Penetration testers use LLM-based solutions to generate templates to simulate web attacks.
Stay Ahead Of Cybersecurity Threats With Solutions From Advantage Technology
With generative artificial intelligence growing in sophistication at an astonishing pace, organizations need experts to help them use the technology safely and effectively while staying ahead of the cybersecurity threats it poses.
Ensure your business is prepared to stand up to the latest threats by partnering with the AI cybersecurity experts at Advantage Technology.
Contact our team today to learn more about how our advanced solutions provide organizations peace of mind in today’s evolving business environment.
