The Three Pillars of AI in Cybersecurity

Artificial Intelligence: The New Weapon in Cybersecurity

Necdet Yasar
3 min readAug 17, 2024
Photo by Jefferson Santos on Unsplash

Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the cybersecurity industry, with vendors vying to integrate AI into their solutions. However, the AI-security relationship extends beyond mere AI implementation. It’s about how both attackers and defenders utilize this technology to reshape the modern threat landscape and how AI models are developed, updated, and secured.

Today, three primary AI pillars underpin cybersecurity. As more organizations adopt AI-based security solutions, comprehending how this technology is applied becomes increasingly crucial.

Pillar #1: Defending AI Capabilities

With the surge in AI-based solutions, protecting these solutions is paramount. Trained on vast datasets, AI solutions are vulnerable to breaches, potentially exposing sensitive data such as customer information, intellectual property, and financial records. As attackers exploit these vulnerabilities, defending AI models becomes a top priority.

Fortunately, this issue has garnered attention, leading to a burgeoning market for AI model protection solutions. While AI has existed for some time, and many AI solutions incorporate security measures, organizations must implement additional safeguards to protect their data. A plethora of third-party solutions can bolster AI pipelines against attacks.

Pillar #2: Countering AI-Powered Attacks

AI’s accessibility has emboldened attackers to leverage it for malicious purposes. Similar to how AI streamlines organizational operations, it enhances attack scale and complexity. While AI doesn’t introduce entirely new attack types (yet), it amplifies existing tactics.

Phishing scams exemplify this. AI-powered personalization makes phishing emails more convincing, increasing their success rate. Furthermore, AI aids attackers in analyzing compromised systems to accelerate and stealthily propagate attacks, often outpacing traditional security tools.

Organizations must be prepared to counter these sophisticated attacks. This involves deploying solutions capable of identifying and defending against high-volume, complex threats. While many organizations have defenses against phishing and malware, testing these solutions against evolving threats is essential. Security leaders must ensure their solutions effectively address real-world threats.

Pillar #3: Leveraging AI in Cybersecurity Products

AI’s pattern recognition capabilities make it ideal for detecting anomalies and suspicious activities. Numerous vendors incorporate AI into their detection solutions, automating threat response. This shift from manual handling of minor threats to AI-driven automation frees security professionals to focus on critical issues.

However, AI models require ongoing maintenance. Collaborating with vendors committed to model updates is crucial. Organizations must carefully evaluate security partners, considering data sources, bias mitigation, and other factors. Not all AI solutions are equal, and choosing partners with a deep understanding of AI is essential.

Approaching AI with Confidence

Understanding how AI is used in cybersecurity is vital. This includes recognizing both AI’s benefits in enhancing security solutions and its potential misuse by attackers. Protecting AI model data and partnering with security-focused vendors are equally important. By grasping these three AI pillars, organizations can confidently navigate the AI-driven cybersecurity landscape.

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Necdet Yasar

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