Fighting Fire with Fire? How AI May Be the Solution to AI-Powered Threats5 min read·Just now--Previously confined to the realms of science fiction, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has seen an explosion of adoption in business in recent years, particularly in the beginning of the 2020s. In only a few short years, AI has transformed from a technological fantasy to an everyday reality, having a very real impact on business, industry, the public sector and on regular citizens.“Everything changed 11/30/2022 when OpenAI released the Chat GPT, and all of a sudden we all, like, got it at once. It was the fastest instant of humanity getting something new so fast.” — Richard Stiennon, Chief Research Analyst at IT-HarvestBut how can we ascertain what the true impact of AI will be long term? AI is experiencing an accelerated adoption in all facets of business and everyday life and its potential is still being explored.Businesses are not the only ones who recognize the potential of AI, however. Cybercriminals have quickly learned how to use it to exploit vulnerabilities in organizations, which could become a serious problem if these organizations don’t also learn to adapt.That is why security analysts and digital security professionals are also already working with AI to automate and optimize threat detection vulnerability response processes. AI is no longer confined to fiction, and has become the very real epicenter of evolving digital threats, but could it also be the remedy to its own risks?How Cybercriminals are Using AICyber-attackers have been quick to utilize the benefits of AI and have begun to adopt it to optimize a variety of different attack types.“AI is making all the things we do today even more important because attackers are gonna get better and faster at it.” — Richard Stiennon, Chief Research Analyst at IT-HarvestThese are just some of the ways that attackers are using AI to make their attacks more effective:Target Profiling: Attackers are using AI to quickly scrape and analyze data taken from the web and social media to build detailed profiles of potential targets and use it to plan personalized attacks. This increases the success of social engineering attacks and informs vulnerability identification.Social Engineering: AI is being used to created more effective, convincing social engineering attacks, from highly personalized phishing emails, to deep-fakes to even being used to engage in seemingly innocent conversations over chat platforms with individuals to gain critical information like login details.Identifying Vulnerabilities: Once attackers have gathered enough data and built a target profile, they can then use AI to continue analyzing their target for vulnerabilities. This can include identifying outdated software, valuable assets which can be easily targeted, or even individuals in organizations who have access to critical data or systems before priming them for a social engineering attack.Attack Automation: The most dangerous quality of AI when in the hands of malicious actors, automation is what makes all of the above so problematic for digital security and IT professionals as it reduces the amount of time that they have to respond to an attack. AI is also being used to enhance adaptive malware so that their attacks can even respond to any systematic defense mechanisms and change its behavior. The automated aspect of AI attacks means that there is little to no human intervention on the other end of the attack, making them far quicker and more difficult to mitigate.It’s clear from only a brief view of contemporary attack methods that AI is becoming a rapidly evolving threat, showcasing how important it is for organizations to prepare their systems and employees to defend themselves.How AI Can Also Be the AnswerHowever, the very qualities that make AI so dangerous are also the reasons why it may also be the best remedy to the threat that it presents. Cybersecurity analysts have already begun to utilize AI as an indispensable tool to defend against the very threat tactics that it propagates.“There are 94 cybersecurity vendors that are focusing on AI security in one form or another, and about 30% of those are looking at SOC automation.” — Richard Stiennon, Chief Research Analyst at IT-HarvestHere are some ways that digital security experts are already exploring using AI as a defense tool:Threat Detection and Analysis: Similar to how cyber-attackers are using AI to analyze vulnerabilities within their target’s systems, security experts are also using it to analyze their own systems to detect vulnerabilities to improve patching and response times. It can be used to identify gaps that need to be rectified as well as alert organizations to attempted attacks on their infrastructure, and even predict attacks on the organization by quickly analyzing vast amounts of data.Pattern Recognition: Following on from AI’s threat analysis capabilities, it is also being used to monitor anomalous patterns and behaviors by comparing historical data and alert the user when something unusual occurs. This can even go as far as identifying behavioral biometrics, such as the way an employee types their password, mouse movement patterns, and login locations to detect unusual behavior that could indicate unauthorized access.Automated Vulnerability Response: Time and resources are often an issue for security professionals when trying to secure systems and assets or respond to vulnerabilities. Using AI to automate threat responses significantly reduces the time it would take to shut down attacks. This is especially important when AI-powered threats mean that the time professionals have to respond to attacks is also decreasing.As AI attacks are set to become more common in the near future, it’s important that organizations begin implementing AI solutions to combat this evolving threat. There are however, other best practices that organizations can introduce to support AI adoption and mitigate threats.Organizations should implement regular training of all employees, not just around security basics, but also ensure to include education around new developing social engineering methods. Password security is also essential. While AI can make it easier for attackers to steal or break passwords, it is much easier to defend stronger passwords. In addition, all organizations should have some form of multi-factor authentication in place, as an attacker would require access to a secondary device, meaning this cannot be bypassed with AI alone.Implementing automation for existing security infrastructure also prevents any vulnerabilities for AI-powered attacks to exploit. Automating PKI security would also provide digital security and IT professionals with more time and resources to respond to any existing or predicted vulnerabilities.As AI continues to evolve, its role in both offensive and defensive security operations will only grow and organizations should ensure that they familiarize themselves with both. As part of the ongoing discussion and exploration of AI, GlobalSign have invited Chief Research Analyst at IT-Harvest, Richard Stiennon, to join Steven Hall on the Trust.ID Talk podcast, to unpack AI’s role in transforming digital security including its practical applications in threat hunting, to utilizing it to optimize everyday PKI management practices.Stay updated on best practices to defend against AI-powered threats in a direct and enlightening conversation with the experts:Listen now:Apple — https://apple.co/3RK8YBGSpotify — https://spoti.fi/4jdGlsPOr watch on YouTube — https://youtu.be/lQ2fyNNmEyY