With all the talk of AI everything these days, it’s easy to wonder if a new generation of AI tools is going to create cybersecurity nightmares.
Well, many leading cybersecurity firms aren’t worried about AI — at least not yet, and not in the ways we might think.
And worst (or best?) of all, the solutions to today’s biggest problems are still actually pretty simple.
Here’s what you need to know.
New Tech that Could Become a Threat
Much of the focus lately has been on a new generation of AI tools, like large language model (LLM) generative AI tools. These systems have the potential to be really powerful, no question about it.
It’s not impossible to imagine a future where hackers create a sort of “malwareGPT,” a generative AI tool that creates malicious code. And that’s just one example of how AI tools could increase cybersecurity threats; there are plenty more. AI-powered tools could greatly increase the speed and scalability of creating malicious code, and it’s possible that in small-scale ways this is already happening.
Another technology to keep on your radar is quantum computing. This again isn’t something that’s going to show up at Best Buy anytime soon, but it’s an entirely new way of computing. There’s the potential that quantum computing could easily break today’s encryption standards.
Why These New Technologies Aren’t the Big Threat … Yet
So why are researchers mostly agreed that neither of these new technologies are an actual major threat yet?
The short answer is that they’re still too new, or even yet theoretical.
AI: Emerging Tech Is Still Emerging
It’s safe to think of our current AI moment as an emerging technology, one that isn’t fully here and isn’t fully developed or understood. And that’s why important researchers aren’t all that worried yet. Right now, the bad guys are exploring how to use AI to increase their success rates or identify new ways to attack.
But they haven’t “broken through” with any particular tech or strategy that cybersecurity professionals can’t stop.
It’s kind of an arms race, as bad actors and security researchers both find new ways to exploit AI, then security researchers race to develop a defense to the new attack vector.
Quantum Computing: Too Early to Even Consider Emerging
Quantum computing is a different sort of challenge. Yes, it’s going to break encryption as we know it, eventually. But we’re much farther away from having large-scale quantum computing capabilities. We (sort of) know it’s coming, but it isn’t here yet.
That means we have time as a society to get ready for it, and that’s exactly what major tech firms and even national governments are doing. Google and others are building “quantum-safe networks,” and the National Institute of Standards and Technology just released encryption standards that will work in a world with quantum computing.
So What’s the Big Threat?
So what are these leading cybersecurity researchers worried about as the biggest threat for right now?
The answer isn’t flashy or exciting: it’s ransomware and phishing schemes. Yes, still.
Why? Because human nature still exists. People keep getting fooled in the same ways, and organizations still aren’t properly prepared to defend against ransomware and data theft resulting from stolen credentials.
Which brings us to one more way that AI could become a threat (or enhance an existing one): unfortunately, LLMs like ChatGPT make it easier for anyone to write with convincing American grammar and syntax. That means the quality of phishing scam emails and other attacks is improving. It’s no longer safe to rely on a keen eye to spot typos or weird phrasing. Your cybersecurity awareness training needs to step up to a new level, and so does your security software.
Need help with either one? We can get you prepared for today’s threats. Reach out anytime!