The development of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) has proven to be a trusting technology to help protect organisations against the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) generated cyber attacks. Cybersecurity has become an increasingly critical concern for companies and industries of all sizes (and rightly so), as cyber-attacks are continuing to evolve and become more sophisticated. What makes AI-generated cyber attacks so dangerous?
Firstly, they can pose significant dangers for organisations as they are much more effective than traditional cyber-attacks because they are more targeted, sophisticated and difficult to detect. One of the most notable AI-generated cyber attacks happened in 2020 against the Australian government and businesses. Attackers used AI and machine learning (ML) to automate and optimize their ambush, making them highly effective and indetectable. The puppeteers behind the attack also used AI to create convincing fake emails, making victims defenceless in identifying phishing attempts.
Traditionally, cybersecurity measures such as firewalls and antivirus software may be ineffective against AI-generated offences which are more difficult to read. This is because AI can be used to constantly adapt and evolve attacks. As shown in 2019, when the US power grid also fell victim to a cyber infiltration. The use of AI and ML was deployed to identify vulnerabilities in the system and to automate the process of compromising the said system. Although this attack was not successful, it highlighted the potential of AI to enhance the already existing capabilities of attackers and expose any weaknesses within the system they are trying to exploit.
How can you protect yourself from AI-generated attacks?
To address the challenges posed by AI against cybersecurity, there has become a growing focus on developing XAI. Such systems can provide you with a better understanding of how AI and ML systems are making decisions, it can also help identify potential vulnerabilities or malicious activity. In more depth, XAI can be utilised to explain how an AI system has identified a potential threat, providing you with a clear understanding of how the system arrived at this decision, whilst helping you identify potential weaknesses in the system so that you are able to take relevant action to prevent infiltration.
By analysing data from multiple sources, XAI systems can identify patterns and anomalies that may indicate ill-intent activity, preventing you from potential attacks before they occur. To implement XAI effectively, companies must ensure that their AI and ML systems are explainable and most importantly, transparent. Systems should be designed in a way that allows security professionals to understand how they are making decisions so that potential threats become easily identified. Your company should invest in training your security professionals in XAI and in developing the necessary expertise to implement such technology effectively. Researching leading XAI companies is essential to protecting your cybersecurity.
