With a focus on “AI-enabled cyber resilience,” the thirteenth edition of GISEC Global is poised to transform the cybersecurity community’s approach to AI-enabled solutions.
As the Middle East prepares for GISEC Global 2024, the region’s largest and most impactful cybersecurity nexus, artificial intelligence (AI) continues to emerge as a hot topic in industry discussions .
Organized under the theme “AI-Driven Cyber Resilience”, GISEC Global 2024 will be held at the Dubai World Trade Center from April 23-25 and will bring together more than 750 of the world’s leading cybersecurity companies, as well as more than 350 global cybersecurity speakers. and 1,000 international ethical hackers come together in the UAE to tackle the AI challenges and trends shaping the future of technology.
Artificial intelligence is a double-edged sword and must be managed properly, experts say
Charles Brooks, president of Brooks Consulting International and assistant professor at Georgetown University in Washington DC, believes that cybersecurity is already being affected “exponentially” by AI.
“AI has the potential to accelerate the detection and identification of cyber threats. AI-powered software and platforms analyze files and data to identify unauthorized logins and communication attempts, anomalous or malicious use of credentials, brute force login attempts, movements of unusual data and data exfiltration. This allows companies to draw conclusions from statistics and guard against anomalies before they are discovered and corrected,” said Brooks, who will speak on the main stage at GISEC on April 23 at 1:30 p.m.
With the widespread availability of AI-based tools and their transformative impact on accessibility, Brooks also warns of downsides for businesses, pointing out that malicious AI can be used by criminal actors to hide malware in commonly downloaded programs.
According to Brooks, attackers are able to obtain user data, including identity management features, using delayed self-executing attacks that are activated after a given amount of time.
Brooks added: “Malicious AI can allow intelligent malware to learn from successful and unsuccessful operations. Then, intelligent malware can find and exploit vulnerabilities in systems, spread by trying different types of attacks, and adapt to countermeasures.”
Generative AI is on the rise and poses many unanswered questions for businesses
Perhaps most notable in the AI landscape, however, is the rise of generative AI. Vectra AI, a leading AI-based platform that provides attack detection, investigation and response services, will be one of 750 exhibiting brands from approximately 100 countries at GISEC Global 2024. The group is iron pioneer of AI in the field of cybersecurity since 2012.
Christian Borst, CTO EMEA at Vectra AI, highlights the positive impact of generative AI on cybersecurity operations. “With the rise of generative AI, such as Bart and ChatGPT, AI has arrived in many aspects of our lives. These more innovative applications are being put to good use, enabling the user of cybersecurity technology to make faster and more relevant decisions,” he said.
But there are also some unknowns, as the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape lends itself to vulnerabilities and, therefore, unforeseen opportunities for attackers.
“Generative AI has been particularly welcomed by criminal hackers, who can use the technology for profit to write malicious code, create undetectable malware, and create social networks beyond password security. pass. The biggest problem for defenders is that generative AI is becoming ubiquitous and easy to use, meaning hackers don’t need a high level of training or expertise to wreak havoc on systems. , Brooks said.
Quantum computing has also played a role in creating uncertainty in the international cybersecurity landscape, due to its rapid development and decryption capabilities. Any company using classical encryption tools faces a serious threat from quantum computers, which can break the techniques used by conventional computers, Brooks added.
AI continues to play a central role in defining the global cybersecurity posture
Despite a collective awareness of the new challenges posed by AI, cybersecurity experts around the world are optimistic about the opportunities these new technological solutions will bring to the future of the industry.
“The application of AI and machine learning is innovation at its finest,” Borst said. “To be successful, it requires the desire to be a leader and a culture of failure. Particularly in cybersecurity, an important sector in the security field, taking risks may not be a priority for many. But leading an AI revolution requires an entrepreneurial mindset, and I believe Middle Eastern countries are showing incredible momentum to disrupt traditional technology approaches.
Click below to share this article