Google is touting AI as the technology that will shift the balance of power from cyberattackers to security professionals and is launching a new project to make it a reality.
THE AI Cyber Defense Initiative is the tech giant’s latest effort to harness AI for cybersecurity and reverse the so-called “defender’s dilemma,” the idea that cybercriminals only need to be right once times – to create the right threat – to succeed, while defenders must be right. every time and deploy the best defenses anywhere, anytime.
Currently, the various patches released, preventative measures taken, and public awareness campaigns launched only address current threats from bad actors and state-sponsored groups, but not future threats , according to Phil Venables, Google. Cloud CISO and Royal Hansen, VP of Engineering for Privacy, Safety and Security at Google.
“This could change,” Venables and Hansen wrote in a statement. blog post. “As the world focuses on the potential of AI – and governments and industry work on a regulatory approach to ensure AI is safe and secure – we believe AI represents a point of inflection for digital security. »
They added that “AI stands at a definitive crossroads – one where policymakers, security professionals and civil society have the opportunity to finally tip the balance of cybersecurity from attackers to cyber defenders.” As malicious actors experiment with AI, we need bold and timely action to determine the direction of this technology.
That’s where the AI Cyber Defense initiative comes in, informed by Google’s capabilities to deploy AI at scale through Google Cloud and with the promise that the technology can reverse long-standing dynamics that favored attackers versus defenders.
“AI enables security professionals and defenders to expand their work in threat detection, malware analysis, vulnerability detection, vulnerability remediation, and incident response,” they wrote Venables and Hansen.
Others are also turning to AI for cybersecurity
Google is not the only established IT player using AI to strengthen its cyber defenses. Microsoft in November 2023 revealed Microsoft Security Copilot spoke last week about the threat of AI in the hands of cybercriminals and how AI is helping security professionals.
“Generative AI has incredible potential to help all defenders protect their organizations at machine speed,” wrote Vasu Jakkal, vice president of security, compliance, identity and management at Microsoft, in a press release. blog post. “The role of AI in cybersecurity is multifaceted, driving innovation and efficiency in various areas. From improving threat detection to streamlining incident response, AI capabilities are reshaping cybersecurity. The use of LLMs (big languages) in cybersecurity demonstrates the potential of AI.”
Vendors like Amazon, IBM, and Meta are making similar strides using AI to combat cyber threats.
The initiative is one of Google’s efforts
Venables and Hansen outlined steps Google has already taken to address AI and security. This includes last year’s release of his Secure AI Frameworkwhich is part of a larger industry driven by the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to integrate security into software development, including AI software.
Google continues to spend on its security and AI-ready data centers around the world, including spending more than $5 billion on European data centers between 2019 and the end of this year to strengthen their security , and created an AI for Cybersecurity program as part of its AI for Cybersecurity program. Google for Startups Growth Academy AI Safety Program. It will include 17 startups from the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Google is also expanding its $15 million cybersecurity seminar program – which includes AI-focused modules and is designed to help universities offer cybersecurity training – to include all of Europe. Magika open sourcean AI-powered tool that helps defenders identify file types, which is an important part of malware detection.
$2 million for AI cybersecurity research
The company also deployed $2 million in research grants and partnerships to strengthen cybersecurity research programs using AI, such as improving code verification, understanding the role of AI in offensive cybersecurity and countermeasures efforts, and the creation of LLMs more resilient to cyber threats.
Today, AI helps businesses detect threats and ease some of the burden on defenders, many of whom are suffering from burnout due to the growing number and sophistication of attacks, according to the report’s authors. of 26 pages from Google on its AI cyber defense initiative. .
“Tomorrow, if we work together, we believe AI can elevate organizations to a level of proficiency, help us address the complexity crisis that is driving countless breaches, and make corporate tactics obsolete. attackers,” they wrote. “As threats continue to multiply, now exacerbated by attackers’ use of AI, we have no choice but to seize this opportunity. Through partnerships and targeted investments, we can reverse the defender’s dilemma.
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