The Role of AI and Big Data in Cybersecurity

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a revolutionary advancement in computer science that will become a core part of modern software. While this creates new opportunities, it also introduces challenges. AI will be used in both cyber defense and cyberattacks, and new types of attacks will arise that target AI's weaknesses. The growing demand for data to train AI models will also change how we view and protect data. Ensuring responsible global management of AI will be key to making sure this technology benefits everyone.

AI and Big Data: A Powerful Combination

AI refers to technology that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. It is developing rapidly, much like how databases expanded in the late 20th century. Just as databases became essential to enterprise software, AI will drive much of the new value in future software.

In recent years, databases have had to evolve to handle "big data"—massive collections of information from various digital sources like social media, websites, and apps. For example, YouTube receives over 400 hours of video content every minute. AI and big data are tightly connected, as AI requires large amounts of data for machine learning, which allows it to improve by analyzing patterns in these large datasets.

The main challenge now isn’t gathering data but finding useful insights within these vast amounts of information. AI can identify patterns in large datasets that humans can’t. For example, AI has been trained to predict someone’s personality based on their Facebook likes sometimes more accurately than their own friends.

AI in Cybersecurity: A Game Changer

Every day, there are reports of data breaches or cyberattacks causing millions of dollars in damage. With more and more devices connected to the internet, the risk of cyber threats is increasing. AI is transforming cybersecurity by automating tasks that previously required human intelligence. For example, AI systems can be trained to detect unusual activity on a network by learning from past data about hostile and non-hostile behavior.

AI is crucial for modern cybersecurity, as it can handle the complexity of detecting attacks much faster than humans. However, cybercriminals are also using AI to find new vulnerabilities, leading to an ongoing battle between defenders and attackers.

One common attack method is "spear phishing," where hackers use personal information to send convincing messages to potential victims. With AI, this process could be automated, allowing hackers to target many people with personalized messages. AI can also be used to search for security weaknesses in software.

In the future, criminals may exploit AI’s weaknesses through methods like "data poisoning," where attackers tamper with the data used to train AI systems. Another tactic involves tricking AI into making mistakes, such as causing a self-driving car to misread a stop sign.

Data’s Changing Value in the AI Era

As AI becomes more dependent on data, the types of information that hackers target will expand. While some cyberattacks are designed to cause disruption, many aim to steal valuable data, such as intellectual property. AI’s ability to extract insights from seemingly trivial data will likely lead to more attacks focused on gathering as much data as possible for future use.

A notable example is the Chinese government’s alleged theft of data from 500 million Marriott hotel customers. While the primary concern in such cases is usually financial fraud, this data could also be used to track individuals for intelligence purposes.

AI and data are now inseparable, and the amount of data an organization possesses can determine its success in business, national security, and even politics. Ordinary information, like customer records, is becoming a valuable asset that attackers will increasingly target.