An overview of Zscaler’s strategies against AI-related cybersecurity threats

Artificial intelligence is proving to be a double-edged sword for business cybersecurity. On the one hand, it has become a powerful weapon for organizations to automate and strengthen their operations and systems. Conversely, bad actors are using it as a weapon to generate new ransomware and AI cybersecurity threats at a dizzying pace.

“This is a transformative time for cybersecurity as a whole,” said Deepen the Desaisecurity manager of Zscaler Inc., in a recent interview with theCUBE. “With the advent of generative AI, there is a huge opportunity to apply both generative and predictive models to transform the way security operations are performed. We also need to be wary that the bad guys will also take advantage and target your organization. This is already happening.

The writing is on the wall. Cyber ​​attackers use AI generation to create spam communications and imitate critical web entities of businesses. At the same time, businesses that rely on the cloud have more to lose than ever. How can businesses stay safe from AI-enabled threat actors with a new suite of active tools?

Here’s a look at theCUBE’s ongoing exploration of an industry poised to step up efforts to combat the proliferation of AI-driven cybersecurity threats, highlighting recent developments and thought leadership from Zscaler.

Combating AI Cybersecurity Threats: Partnerships and Zero Trust Support Zscaler’s Market Evolution

The recent “ ” from ZscalerThreatLabz AI Security Report 2024» revealed that enterprise AI transactions increased by 595% in the last three quarters of 2023. But at the same time, transaction blocking by AI stands at 18.5%, a increase of 577%. The bottom line is that businesses are fed up with the phantom infiltration of copied AI applications.

“As you enable organizations to adopt AI securely, it continues to increase your attack surface,” Desai explained. “You see very, very convincing phishing pages, phishing emails created using AI. You must have zero trust. It will only get worse.

Zscaler has evolved its zero trust innovation through partnerships, solidifying a foundational alliance with CrowdStrike Inc. Bridging the specialization gaps between the two vendors, Zscaler hopes this partnership will expand the theme of ecosystem collaboration in the field of cybersecurity.

“We released a contextual engine… we’re allowing multiple partners to build on top of that,” said Punish Minochaexecutive vice president of business development and corporate strategy at Zscaler, in a recent interview with theCUBE. “This allows for a more resilient and tolerant approach. And look, things happen in security, things happen in IT. It is our duty as providers to ensure we adapt, learn and build something safe.

The current state of cybersecurity is fragmented, with a litany of vendors specializing in different areas. Relying on an assortment of tools can leave exploitable loopholes in incursions through which businesses can be infiltrated.

“Security tends to be very fragmented and when it’s as fragmented as it can be, it adds complexity,” Minocha said. “When it adds complexity, there is room for error, risks occur, risks are introduced. There is generally a tendency to try to consolidate this. At the same time, some swimming lanes are very natural. That’s where Zscaler and CrowdStrike landed, allowing us to have that open ecosystem mindset, collaborate with the best, and solve customer problems.

Today’s bad actors aren’t just looking to disrupt business operations. Ransomware attacks are on the rise, forcing a rethink of ransomware protection as a simple complement to cybersecurity solutions. In the future, Zero Trust security and least privileged access for identity management will be crucial weapons in the hands of defenders against AI cybersecurity threats.

“Zscaler is constantly investing in our cloud security operations to ensure we have sufficient capacity to scale quickly with user growth, and we have built resilience into its core to ensure non-stop operations for our customers,” said Jay Chaudhrypresident, founder and CEO of Zscaler, in a recent press release. “As an innovator and market leader, we have also introduced a business continuity service that allows customers to continue their operations, even in the event of catastrophic events. »

Another worrying trend is the psychological change among cyberattackers. Today, they don’t care as much about fame, notoriety or media coverage, making them more mature, more focused and more dangerous than ever. Examples such as the band Dark Angels serve to illustrate this trend, according to Brett Stone-GrossSenior Director of Threat Intelligence at Zscaler, in a recent interview with theCUBE.

“What we’re seeing with the Dark Angels is that they haven’t really made the headlines,” he said. “They do it on purpose because they don’t want to make the headlines. They are subject to much less scrutiny from researchers, and especially from law enforcement. They are actually more successful than almost every other group, if not the most successful group, and for this reason we ranked them first in our ransomware report this year.

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