By Sanjay Agrawal, CTO and Head of Presales, India and SAARC, Hitachi Vantara and Chair of SNIA
Ransomware attacks are no longer just a costly inconvenience; they represent an existential threat to organisations across industries. Cyberattacks have destructive impacts on organisations, including theft of confidential information and interference with critical systems. In 2024, the average ransom demand surged to $2.73 million, representing the huge financial risk facing organisations. Over the last five years, ransomware attacks have hit 13% increase, while the average cost of one attack has been measured at $1.85 million.
With each passing year, these attacks grow more sophisticated, evolving into highly orchestrated operations. The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) into this domain has only heightened the stakes, empowering attackers with capabilities that were once unimaginable. However, the same AI advancements hold the key to dismantling these threats before they inflict damage.
The question stands: why do these types of attacks prove to be so effective? The reason behind this is that cybercriminals take advantage of the growing complexities of our digital ecosystems. As organisations today digitise faster than ever, they tend to open a Pandora’s box of new vulnerabilities. The harsh fact is this: without proactive defenses, organisations risk ruinous financial, operational, and reputational damages.
How AI Prevents/Remediates Breaches Before Ransomware Strikes
Just as AI can be used by malicious actors to instigate ransomware attacks, it can be used by organisations’ security teams to help protect them from breaches and remediate attempted or successful attacks.
Core to its functionality, AI assists organisations in detecting ransomware by monitoring deviations in network traffic patterns, user behavior, and activities within systems. Unlike conventional techniques relying on predefined signature, AI identifies irregular patterns and behaviors that deviate from the norm in system operations—threats that traditional security tools might simply overlook. This can constitute a sudden increase in file encryption activities, unusual login attempts by users, or unauthorised access to sensitive information. Thereby, acting as early indicators of a ransomware attack.
In response to this, AI conducts an in-depth analysis of historical as well as real-time data, helping improve its perception of what “normal” behavior is within a particular context. Additionally, by analysing typing speed, requiring multiple authentication levels for sensitive data, and blocking users attempting atypical access, AI can also enhance multifactor authentication services to effectively tackle ransomware. When an impending attack is detected, AI immediately isolates the infected systems, terminates malicious processes, and contains the threat.
Future-Proofing Against Ransomware with AI
The time to act is now, and organisations need to act decisively to utilise AI’s potential as a defender against ransomware. This requires investment in AI-driven tools, a commitment to building cyber resilience, and a willingness to reimagine traditional security frameworks. Cybercriminals are not standing still, and neither should we.
While previous strategies relied heavily on human intervention, AI introduces automation in the identification and response mechanisms regarding ransomware threats. This development not only frees up IT personnel but also ensures that identified threats are eliminated immediately. Thereby, reducing the window of opportunity for data loss and recovery from data loss. Moreover, such solutions powered by artificial intelligence are highly scalable. This means that AI can effectively safeguard networks of nearly any size, from small businesses to massive multinational corporations.
Further, as AI continues to process more and more data, the ability to detect new threats and adapt to them keeps growing in precision. This adaptability is what makes AI the solution that will not go obsolete and can morph along with changing cyber threat environment.
The battle against ransomware is far from over, but with AI on our side, we have a fighting chance to outpace attackers. The challenge is formidable, but the opportunity to redefine cybersecurity for a safer future is within our grasp. Adopting a multilayered approach to ransomware will help businesses protect their reputation, customers, and bottom line.
