Evolution of cyber warfare — how it has moved up from conventional threats to a digital siege

evolution of cyber warfare — how it has moved up from conventional threats to a digital siege

Evolution of cyber warfare — how it has moved up from conventional threats to a digital siege

Organisations today face a constant barrage of threats — right from malware and phishing attacks to ransomware and social engineering – as cybercriminals adopt newer tactics to exploit vulnerabilities and gain unauthorised access to information with more sophisticated and pervasive attacks.

These challenges are compounded in today’s distributed working environments where data can be spread across limitless services, devices, applications, and users. What has added to the complexity is the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). While its impact on the digital world cannot be neglected, it presents a double-edged sword for security practitioners.

However, the larger advantage of AI lies with defenders. After years of needing to be right all the time while attackers only had to be right once, we can start to see how the scales could tip in favour of defenders with AI. If your organisation has the right platforms and the right telemetry, you can apply AI to operate at machine scale, draw meaningful insights, enhance team capacity, and move from simply detecting and responding to predicting and preventing.

AI — The Force Multiplier In Cybersecurity

Globally, there are an estimated 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs unfilled. Despite the high stakes to a company’s operations, revenue and reputation, many security teams remain understaffed due to the skills shortage. Through automation and interactive natural language interfaces, AI can enable workers with less specialised training to take on important, fulfilling, and well-paying positions around the world. While many contend that AI will eliminate jobs, I believe AI will help draw top talent with non-traditional security backgrounds to our field and expand the available market.

Helping make this possible, AI “assistants” are transforming the day-to-day lives of security professionals. With GenAI natural language interfaces, we are enabling the intuitive machine-to-human and human-to-machine interactions to augment individual and team outcomes.

These interactions monitor and flag issues for security workers like potential threat anomalies, while freeing them from time-intensive tasks around logs, policy and rule updates, patching, and ongoing security hygiene — many of which can be handled predictively and proactively by the security assistant in minutes instead of days. I see a world where a single security professional could scale their capacity by a factor of 10x or more, and where security teams operate with far greater efficacy.

Overcoming security obstacles with AI

A recent study by Cisco shows that in India only 4% of organisations are at a level of readiness we would define as mature, while 88% of companies feel confident in their ability to stay resilient amidst this evolving cybersecurity landscape. We cannot underestimate the threat posed by our own overconfidence.

That’s why we need to take big steps with AI to improve security resilience. Here are just a handful of today’s security obstacles that AI can help us overcome:

  • a. Currently, the average security team manages up to 70 point solutions, many of which do not interoperate with one another. AI-powered platforms can simplify and streamline the web of networks, clouds, devices, remote end-users, and applications that give security leaders headaches. Today's organisations need to prioritise investments in AI-powered integrated platforms with shared telemetry in order to operate at machine scale. 
  • b. AI is being used effectively by our opponents. Cybercriminals have access to the same sophisticated AI-enabled technologies that we do. For example, with generative AI, today’s phishing emails are more convincing and often highly personalised. AI can help us spot these threats as well as correlate data across email, web, endpoint and networks to identify high-level alerts that would otherwise be missed.  
  • c. Why hack when you can simply log in? Identity-related attacks are on the rise, and we need new techniques and technology to keep data secure. Historically we have asked if someone “can” access a system, but really, we should be asking “should” they be accessing a system. If an identity appears correct, but there are anomalies in behaviour — whether from a human or a machine — AI can pinpoint those suspicious patterns and automatically protect assets. 
  • d. Securing everything is hard when network infrastructure is becoming more and more highly distributed with edge applications and end points leveraging hundreds and thousands of microservices. This creates a scale problem for security that only AI will be able to help us with. For example, during my recent trip to India I learned that they are expecting to install 250 million smart metres across the country. That is 250 million end points that will need to be secured, monitored, and updated. Security at this scale requires a hyper-distributed approach powered by AI to be orders-of-magnitude more autonomous than how we operate today. 
  • We have a tremendous opportunity where AI can help us overcome obstacles like these and reimagine security to build a more sustainable, equitable, and secure future for everyone. By investing in integrated platforms, leaning into the responsible use of AI, and synergising human ingenuity with the computational capabilities of AI, today's organisations will begin to operate at machine scale and finally tip the scales in favour of defenders.

    —The author, Jeetu Patel, is EVP and General Manager, Security & Collaboration, at Cisco Systems, Inc., the US multinational digital communications technology conglomerate. The views expressed are personal.

    OTHER NEWS

    2 hrs ago

    AUS vs SCO: Mitchell Starc slams media for blowing Hazlewood comments 'out of proportion'

    2 hrs ago

    Vijay Sethupathi shares interesting details from 'Viduthalai 2'!

    2 hrs ago

    Who is Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, the next Army chief succeeding Gen. Manoj Pande?

    2 hrs ago

    Kamal Haasan Meets, Congratulates Thalavan Team

    2 hrs ago

    The Taste by Vir Sanghvi: The stark reality behind India's expensive restaurants

    2 hrs ago

    Chandu Champion Box Office Collection Day 2: Kartik Aaryan Starrer Biopic Shows Growth After Slow Start, Earns Rs 11 Crore

    2 hrs ago

    Ladies European Tour: Solid start in Italian Open puts Diksha in fourth place

    2 hrs ago

    Vande Bharat Sleeper trains to hit tracks soon! Ashwini Vaishnaw says it prioritise both ‘aesthetic appeal and functionality’

    2 hrs ago

    When Imran Khan called Aamir Khan 'political': 'You can make money by acting but you point out injustice in society...'

    2 hrs ago

    2024 New BMW 5 Series LWB First Look, Interior And Features

    2 hrs ago

    D-Street Dons! Massive Rs 85,582 cr jump in market cap of 5 of top-10 largest firms; LIC leads race

    2 hrs ago

    Indo-China Relation: Four Years Of Galwan Clash, Take A Look Back At The Series Of Action | ABP News

    2 hrs ago

    Indian banks are better placed with strong balance sheet, low NPAs and higher profits: CLSA

    2 hrs ago

    "We were just terrible...": Australia's Starc on team's fielding after win over Scotland

    2 hrs ago

    "Try to enjoy it and...": World No. 1 Jannik Sinner discloses "mental advice" Federer gave him in Halle

    2 hrs ago

    Watch: Mohan Majhi takes oath as Odisha's new Chief Minister

    2 hrs ago

    India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur wins toss, opts to bat first against SA in first ODI

    2 hrs ago

    Wasim Akram takes a jibe at Babar Azam’s men: ‘Congratulations to the USA… For Pakistan, what’s the plan? EK 601 to Dubai, to their respective cities’

    3 hrs ago

    VFX Revolution - How Munjya, Godzilla x Kong, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes are ruling the box office

    3 hrs ago

    IT, Automobile Hub, No Major Airport: Guess This Indian City From Its 1928 Photo

    3 hrs ago

    China issues high temperature alert amid sweltering heat and severe flood warnings

    3 hrs ago

    Team USA's Super 8 qualification rings in trouble for Saurabh Netravalkar, juggling best of both worlds? Netizens muse

    3 hrs ago

    Rahul Gandhi joins EVM debate after Elon Musk flags hacking risk

    3 hrs ago

    Hyundai IPO to shatter all records? India’s 2nd largest car maker plans Rs 25,000 cr issue

    3 hrs ago

    Mcap of Five of Top-10 Most Valued Firms Jumps Rs 85,582 Crore; LIC Biggest Gainer

    3 hrs ago

    Dividend Stocks June 2024: Tata Steel, L&T, HDFC AMC among stocks to trade ex-dividend next week – Full List

    3 hrs ago

    Minimalist designs and multifunctional furniture are the latest trends: Gauri Khan

    3 hrs ago

    UK elections: Polls predict 'electoral extinction' for PM Sunak's Conservatives

    3 hrs ago

    Punjabi NRI thrashed in Himachal over parking dispute, political leaders alleges link with Kangana Ranaut slap case

    3 hrs ago

    The Great Indian Kapil Show: Here's why Archana Puran Singh's kursi is in danger; says 'Mirchi laag gayi. Abhi mera agla season khatrein main hain'

    3 hrs ago

    Dharmendra Pradhan on NEET Row: NTA officials won't be spared if found guilty

    3 hrs ago

    Neetu Kapoor wishes son Ranbir Kapor and late husband Rishi Kapoor on Father's Day

    3 hrs ago

    'Waqar, Wasim Left a Legacy Behind but This Team...': Ex-IND Star Feels Pakistan 'Didn't Deserve' a Super 8 Berth

    3 hrs ago

    Chennaiyin FC sign experienced Indian defender Mandar Rao Dessai

    3 hrs ago

    Australia tie with England, India for most successive wins in T20 World Cup

    3 hrs ago

    BAN vs NEP 2024, T20 World Cup 2024 Live Streaming: When and where to watch Bangladesh vs Nepal live?

    3 hrs ago

    HCL Tech 2025 Dividend News: Record date fixed by IT stock

    3 hrs ago

    Airfares likely to taper off from July due to capacity addition, slight fall in demand

    3 hrs ago

    No land to Adani group in Dharavi project

    3 hrs ago

    Lok Sabha Speaker election: Sanjay Raut offers INDIA bloc support to TDP; JD(U) backs 'BJP's right'