At last week’s RSA Conference (RSAC), many vendors and media focused on artificial intelligence (AI). AI is a very big and broad topic and there are so many different levels of AI that we need to see the reality of AI going forward.
AI available today works just a few steps above automation. It uses algorithms, machine learning and natural language processing.
So don’t expect the machine to suddenly start working and think for itself. It’s still far AI. Machines will be able to think for themselves, but we are at a tipping point.
We focus on automating repetitive tasks, getting information faster, and making decisions faster. So we are talking about artificial intelligence. In other words, it acquires information that humans cannot process. And it allows humans to make more important decisions faster.
AI programs like ChatGPT are now used to create some code outlines and templates that users can customize and personalize. It’s like predictive coding or predictive chat. And it’s really next level.
But attackers (cyber attackers) also use AI. These applications can collect and process personal data much faster than humans can and social engineer smarter, clickable phishing emails. It is also used to create malware more efficiently.
Security professionals use AI to analyze data, make critical decisions faster, create multiple examples of security strategies and best practices, create better reports, and automate as many tasks as possible. make it possible. The more time you can reduce wasted time through automation, the more efficient you become.
Like all technologies and innovations, they can be used for good and bad. Better AI can help employees make faster, more informed decisions. And once an action is performed his 1 time, the AI will make those tasks repeatable and use intelligence to adapt based on machine learning and context.
see ahead
So while attackers are using AI, they are fundamentally no different than most existing attacks today. Frankly, I don’t think it’s a business priority right now. They’ve seen it and checked it out, but reality and priorities don’t match the hype I’ve seen with some vendors on the RSAC show floor. Ultimately, it’s all about cybersecurity basics: simple tasks like cyber training, phishing reports, and using MFA.
One of the many benefits I’ve gotten from RSAC is the ability to have constructive conversations about how to communicate more effectively with management and the board. This was a big topic on day one, and I attended many sessions where I was asked to think about the perspective of the board and understanding the issues that the board prioritizes. You also learned how to translate technical terms into business outcome decisions. This is what many of his CSOs and CISOs really want.
Another point for me was around cloud security. Many organizations have accelerated their move to the cloud over the last few years. They’re adopting cloud services, they have great computing power, they’re looking to adopt and build it faster, but they’re lagging behind in security. They do it in a hurry and are already in technical debt. And now they’re catching up and realizing that just moving what they’re doing on-premises to the cloud won’t work. It’s more expensive, harder, and can make the cloud both less secure and less efficient. That is why we are seriously considering cloud-native security solutions to protect both public and private cloud environments. Many organizations want to learn cloud security best practices.
Finally, there was a lot of talk about cyber insurance and attempts to understand how it works. Many business and security leaders think cyber insurance serves as a replacement for security, but it doesn’t. It’s a financial safety net for security when bad things happen. However, insurers struggle to quantify cyber risk and obtain that data. They mitigate today’s risk by raising prices to mitigate risk until they have a better understanding of the appropriate moves that can mitigate the risk of the organization they are insuring.
Overall, RSAC was a great meeting for people to come together and share knowledge, experiences, and lessons learned to make the digital world a safer place.
Joseph Carson, Chief Security Scientist and Advisory CISO, Delinea
