These days pretty much every company - from the tiniest microbusiness to a massive conglomerate - runs on an increasing amount of technology; and this expands at double pace when you decide to scale the business. As well as a whole mess of IoT (
Internet of Things) equipment and cloud storage, the modern business is responsible for handling tons of data - and cybercriminals are looking to take this off your hands...
It should go without saying that the wider you spread your tech, the bigger the target you make for hackers! So what you need is a security superpower – and this comes in the form of AI-powered capabilities. Unlike traditional cybersecurity tools, AI is able to throw on its cape and automate some pretty darn complicated processes in order to supersize threat detection and incident response to keep your data safe from prying eyes.
The Critical Role of AI-Powered Network Monitoring
One of the most important applications of AI in cybersecurity is network monitoring. AI-powered tools can continuously analyze network traffic to detect discrepancies that may suggest cyberattacks or system vulnerabilities. And there are resources like
Citadel’s tech management which can play a central role in deploying AI-driven solutions that continuously monitor network activity to provide early warning systems – and rapid response, too.
The use of sophisticated technology can, unfortunately, be used for evil as well as good and the villains are getting more sophisticated by the day. AI is able to banish these dastardly attackers by flagging even the most subtle of threats such as unusual login patterns, unusual network movement and data exfiltration attempts - allowing IT teams to swoop in super-fast.
Challenges in Rapid Expansion and AI Integration
All of this is all very well but, what if your IT department is growing at pace? In this scenario, it’s often really difficult for data security to keep up, and lagging one step behind can lead to disaster in terms of data quality. When quality is compromised, it leads to all sorts of issues including false positives caused by oversensitivity. This can be a major problem as it means that supersensitive AI is so busy jumping at every shadow that it can miss the genuine dangerous threats.
A second sticky wicket is trying to marry up
AI systems with legacy systems and existing infrastructure - which may turn out not to be a marriage that's exactly made in heaven. This can, in some cases, lead to security gaps or disruptions which open the door to potential hackers. Because of this, it's vital that businesses plan deployments with integration in mind to slam the door on any potential problems.
Another big problem is the shortage of skilled personnel who understand both cybersecurity and AI technologies, because they are completely different areas of technology. This can hold back progress unless it’s addressed through targeted training programs. According to the CEO
of Compeint, effective collaboration between IT service providers and business management is essential if AI infrastructure and organizational goals are to be aligned as operations grow.
On top of all of this, you still need to keep ethical considerations in mind including privacy as breaching data regulations like GDPR can have devastating consequences.
Enhancing Threat Intelligence and Predictive Capabilities
AI is all about machine learning; with the emphasis on learning. This means that it takes its information from a wide range of sources such as internal logs, the dark web, social media and more. This allows it to take a long and wide view of factors which may compromise integrity and security and to therefore build more robust defences and strategies.
Best Practices for Implementing AI-Driven Cybersecurity
OK, so you get the gist of why AI cybersecurity can be a superhero for your business - now we’ll take a look at some technical, ethical and strategic
best practices that will help keep you on the straight and narrow:
- Comprehensive Data Management: when it comes to that all-important data, businesses need to give AI a leg up by making sure that their data collation, cleaning and storage is super high quality to facilitate supercharged learning
- Continuous Monitoring and Updating: In a world that moves at lightning speed, cyberthreats evolve at pace; which means that your AI pal needs to be constantly updated and retrained with adaptive learning to make sure that it can not only match the villains step for step but, more importantly, stay ahead of them
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: As great as it is, AI is not an island - more an archipelago which should be connected up to teams such as IT, cybersecurity, data science and more in order to stay compliant and effective
- Investment in Training: Your AI caped crusader is only ever as good as the people feeding it and so continuous investment in your employees is of paramount importance here
- Integration with Existing Systems: AI is an incredibly valuable tool but if it doesn’t talk to your other tech, it can be less than effective. For this reason, you absolutely positively need to make sure that all of your tools can be integrated to avoid disruptions and security gaps
- Robust Governance and Compliance: Above all else, you need to ensure that every touchpoint in your business adheres to governance such as data privacy and ethics as failing to do so can quickly land you in hot water with the authorities
- Pilot Programs and Incremental Deployment: It’s always a good idea to walk before you can run and pilots allow you to take baby steps and iron out any kinks before going full-tilt boogie with new systems
- Vendor and Partner Evaluation: Teaming up with expert partners is a fantastic way of getting the absolute best out of your technology and your team
The Future Outlook: AI as a Necessity
Once upon a time, cybersecurity was as simple as plugging in a firewall and calling it good - but those days are long gone. Today, there are teams of cybercriminals
working around the clock to find new ways to penetrate your defences and, the bigger your infrastructure, the bigger target you present. Because of this, AI’s powers will become more and more essential for businesses who are serious about security - and the time for adoption is now.
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Conclusion
The average business is made up of a complex network of systems - all of which have their weak points that cybervillains will be only too happy to take advantage of. Add into the mix the need to scale rapidly while integrating tools with tech, you’ve got a big job ahead of you. Luckily, AI is able to take the strain by working side by side with all of your systems to ensure that they are protected 24/7.
