Will AI be able to protect itself from hackers?
In the 21st century, terrorism is not necessarily bombs, biological weapons, or holding people hostage, but instead has to do with hackers and cyberspace. Because of the great degree of industry complexity and the dynamic nature of the technology sector, cybersecurity has always been a challenging topic.
Since the invention of the Internet, hackers have developed rapidly and now cause yearly cyberattacks that shake the world. We digitize everything, including our data, books, images, and newspaper articles. We confidently placed them on the cloud, our computers, or our phone. Simply put, it simplifies our lives and benefits the environment. But, the threat from hackers is accurate, and we are all vulnerable targets.
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has grown in popularity as more and more companies and organizations use it in their daily operations. Yet, as AI spreads, there is an increased risk of cyberattacks and data breaches. We shall investigate if AI can defend itself from hackers in this piece.
What is AI security?
J. McCarthy, a renowned computer science theorist and the inventor of the Lisp programming language, coined the term Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 1956, five and a half decades ago. McCarthy was a 29-year-old assistant professor at Stanford University at the time.
AI security involves protecting AI systems from cyber threats, such as hacking, data breaches, and other forms of cyberattacks. It is a critical component of cybersecurity, as AI systems are becoming increasingly integrated into our lives, from self-driving cars to financial trading algorithms.
According to research, most telecom businesses (80%) rely on AI to recognize cyber threats, and 69% of business executives believe it will be vital to respond to cyberattacks. This further emphasizes the importance of AI in ensuring that hackers do not gain access to critical business information.
What if AI platforms are hacked?
We are aware that AI-driven systems are applied across all sectors and industries. In the grand scheme of things, hacking your Facebook or Instagram account is not a big problem. Now picture a hospital using AI or the army being compromised. The results might be spectacular, and hackers might possess limitless abilities. Is there a fix for this?
We don’t have to fear AI because AI is the answer to cyberattacks.
Cybersecurity experts work every minute to enhance security software and make it impermeable to hackers. With the help of AI, cybersecurity scientists are invincible. As a machine learning system, AI can learn from hackers’ methods and always be one step ahead. The machine-learning algorithms watch those dark web experts’ behavior and adapt quickly to their evolving tactics. Hackers will constantly improve themselves as technology improves too. It is like an infinite circle where AI will always win, considering it is more proactive and adaptive than humans.
It is now vital that employee work and crucial company information are maintained securely due to the growth of internet firms and employees working from home. Failure to do so may lead to cyberattacks, the remediation of which could be time-consuming and expensive.
In 2020, 37% of businesses and organizations will already be using AI in their systems and procedures, according to research. This shows how AI can effectively lower the risk of cyberattacks and ensure that measures are in place to secure corporate data and information.
Challenges facing AI security
While AI has the potential to enhance security, it also presents unique challenges. Here are some of the challenges facing AI security:
- Lack of explainability: One of the challenges of AI security is that AI systems are often opaque, meaning it is difficult to understand how they make decisions. This lack of transparency can make identifying and addressing security vulnerabilities challenging.
- Adversarial attacks: Adversarial attacks are a type of cyber attack that involves tricking an AI system into making the wrong decision. These attacks can be challenging to detect and defend against, as they are designed to exploit AI system weaknesses.
- Data poisoning: Another challenge of AI security is data poisoning, which involves manipulating data to train an AI system to create a vulnerability that attackers can exploit.
- Complexity: AI systems can be complex, with many different components and layers of algorithms. This complexity can make it challenging to identify and address security vulnerabilities.
How AI can protect itself from hackers
Despite these challenges, AI has the potential to enhance security and protect itself from hackers. Here are some ways in which AI can defend itself:
- Continuous monitoring: AI systems can be programmed to monitor themselves continuously for anomalies or suspicious activity. This can help to detect and address security vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. The most common form of attack against AI systems today, according to Robotics Biz, is the penetration of high-volume algorithms to alter their prediction output. Therefore, by AI carefully monitoring itself, this activity can be avoided and security threats eliminated.
- Self-learning: AI systems can be designed to learn from their experiences, allowing them to identify and adapt to new security threats in real time.
- Cybersecurity AI algorithms: AI systems can also be designed explicitly for cybersecurity purposes, using algorithms trained to detect and respond to cyber threats.
- Collaboration: AI can work with other cybersecurity measures, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and anti-virus software, to provide a multi-layered defense against cyber-attacks.
Although AI can completely change how we approach cybersecurity, it poses particular difficulties. AI systems may be susceptible to cyberattacks, but they can also be taught to defend themselves through constant observation, self-improvement, cybersecurity AI algorithms, and cooperation with other cybersecurity measures. As a result, AI will become more crucial in preserving our digital assets and guaranteeing the security of our systems as the threat of cyberattacks grows.
