By Neelesh Kripalani, Chief Technology Officer, Clover Infotech
In this increasingly digitised world, cybersecurity has become a critical concern. As cyberattacks have grown in volume and complexity, traditional defense systems are no longer sufficient to protect sensitive information and infrastructure.
To combat this challenge, cybersecurity experts are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) as a powerful tool to strengthen defense systems and safeguard against cyber threats. According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the global AI in cybersecurity market size is expected to grow from $8.8 billion in 2020 to $38.2 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 23.3% during the forecast period.
Here are some ways in which AI can be leveraged for enhancing the cybersecurity landscape:
Cyberthreats Identification – AI can analyse massive amounts of data from various sources, including network traffic, system logs, and user behavior to identify patterns and anomalies that might indicate cyber threats. Machine learning models can be trained to recognise familiar cyberattacks, and also adapt to new and evolving attack techniques.
Continuous Monitoring – There is no doubt in AI models are more sophisticated than traditional systems as they have the ability to continuously learn and adapt. AI-based systems are trained on vast datasets that encompass diverse threat scenarios and behaviors, enabling them to improve their detection capabilities over time.
Security Log Analysis – AI significantly enhances security log analysis by automating the processing and analysis of diverse log data, aiding in real-time threat detection, anomaly identification, and pattern recognition. It reduces false positives, helps in behavioral profiling, and supports proactive threat hunting.
By providing scalable and efficient analysis of large volumes of data, AI enables early warnings, incident response automation, and advanced analytics. However, human expertise remains vital for validating alerts, investigating incidents, and making critical decisions, while ethical considerations and biases in AI models must be carefully addressed during implementation.
Network Detection and Response (NDR) – NDR solutions detect abnormal system behavior by applying behavioral analytics to network traffic data. They continuously analyse raw network packets between internal and public networks. These solutions offer comprehensive visibility into network activities, aiding in proactive threat hunting and helping cybersecurity teams investigate and mitigate incidents effectively. NDR systems leverage machine learning for anomaly detection and user behavior analysis, enhancing the detection of insider threats and advanced attacks.
Extended Detection and Response (XDR) – XDR is a cybersecurity approach that expands upon the capabilities of traditional Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions. XDR integrates data from various security sources across an organisation’s environment, including endpoints, networks, cloud platforms, and applications, to provide a more comprehensive and contextualised view of potential threats. By correlating and analysing data from multiple sources, XDR aims to improve threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities.
In conclusion, the use of AI in cybersecurity aligns well with the organisations’ need for building a pre-emptive and proactive security landscape. AI-based solutions can provide more effective protection against both known and unknown threats – using machine learning and natural language processing algorithms to detect and respond to threats in real time. This helps organisations to better safeguard their sensitive data and critical systems.