AI And Security: Wait, On Whose Side Does It Stand?

We had the luxury to think that AI will finally slash all the delay, vagueness and complexity that stopped defenders from fighting the attackers. only for a short time. And then?

- Pratima Harigunani

There was an inventor named Hiram Stevens maxim who caused some stir in military warfare, if only for a certain time, by giving colonial armies a weapon of novelty – The maxim Gun. Supposedly, the first recoil-operated machine gun in production. But then, he also had a son. Hiram Percy Maxim, who invented something else – The first commercially successful silencer!

After ages of fighting cyber-criminals in a catch-up mode, the security folks had got something glossy, nimble footed and sturdy up their arms. Artificial Intelligence (AI) allowed them with everything they had been craving for - acuity, lightning-fast insights and an almost-Superman like ability to react to red-flags. AI was finally equipping them to handle the complexity, volume and real-time sensitivity of data that mattered a lot in fighting sly and smooth attackers.

Being Proactive

It was also promising that long-sought-after ‘proactive’ edge in security. The world of zero-day exploits and software patches, too, could undergo a big shift now. A proactive-stance is a big strength that defenders are gaining thanks to AI’s capabilities.