AI Security: The New Cyber Battlefield

AI is transforming industries, but it has also opened up an entirely new attack surface ripe for exploitation by savvy cybercriminals. I continue to see how the potential consequences of AI security breaches are rapidly growing as its adoption increases across all sectors. With this in mind, I believe it is extremely important that organizations and cybersecurity professionals must be aware of the biggest threats facing their networks and what they can do to protect themselves. Let's break it down and explore solutions.?

Greatest cybersecurity risks facing AI models?

As AI models continue to advance and become more embedded in crucial decision-making frameworks, they become more attractive targets for sophisticated attackers. The manipulation of these models presents a new threat vector, one that can be both hard to defend and devastating in impact when utilized. At this moment, hacking AI models remains a difficult prospect, but cybersecurity professionals must start preparing for these threats now rather than after it is too late.??

The most concerning issue facing AI models themselves from a security standpoint is the lack of understanding of AI models by cybersecurity professionals. After all, how can you secure something if you don’t know how it works or how it is built? It’s this same insight that led to the promotion of maintaining Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) we’ve seen in more recent years. Perhaps we should start holding AI models to the same standards???

While all risks—such as the leaking of training data and unauthorized AI use—pose serious threats, AI model manipulation is particularly dangerous due to its potentially far-reaching consequences. While the leaking of training data and unauthorized usage are also serious, they primarily compromise data and compliance. AI model hacking can directly lead to malicious outcomes at a larger scale, making it the most pressing concern.?

How attackers are leveraging AI?

AI has significantly transformed the nature of cyberattacks, making them more sophisticated, scalable, and harder to detect.?EC-Council’s own 2024 Threat Report ?revealed that over 70% of respondents are seeing a new level of sophistication, enabling attackers to deceive even the most secure systems.?

These types of attacks use machine learning to bypass traditional security defenses by constantly evolving and adapting, and therefore more attackers are using AI-generated malware and security attacks. AI-powered phishing attacks, for instance, have become much harder to recognize. Attackers can now craft personalized phishing emails at scale by analyzing vast datasets of targets’ behavioral and communication patterns, significantly increasing the likelihood of success.???

Another common attack cybersecurity professionals are seeing is deepfake technology being used to carry out social engineering attacks, where malicious actors mimic the voice or video appearance of legitimate individuals to bypass security protocols.???

The above is the reason why EC-Council launched the?Certified Ethical Hacker v13 ?with AI as the singular focus to upskill existing cybersecurity professionals with AI capability. We’re developing tools and training programs to ensure cybersecurity professionals have access to the latest AI-driven solutions, but the nature of the arms race means it’s a continuous struggle to stay ahead of increasingly AI-savvy cybercriminals.???

What can cybersecurity professionals do to combat the threats??

The human element is essential to combatting AI threats. These professionals bring creative problem-solving, adaptability, and a level of intuition that AI, for all its power, simply can't match. This allows them to think outside the box and uncover vulnerabilities that automated systems might overlook.?

Certified Ethical Hackers serve as the “last line of defense,” testing the resilience of systems in ways that automated tools may not cover. They offer a human perspective that AI-driven security measures can’t replace—insights into how malicious actors might exploit loopholes, gaps in logic, or misconfigurations that wouldn’t register in an AI model's scope.??

Human-AI collaboration is the future of cybersecurity. While AI handles the scale and speed of detecting known vulnerabilities, humans will always be needed to uncover the hidden weaknesses and emerging threats that attackers are constantly innovating.?

The cybersecurity landscape is rapidly evolving with the rise of AI, presenting both opportunities and challenges. As CEO of EC-Council, I see the critical need to mitigate AI's inherent risks while embracing its power. I believe by fostering continuous learning, investing in advanced training like the Certified Ethical Hacker v13, and promoting human-AI collaboration, we can build a safer digital future.??