Webinar: The Risks and Reward of AI for Cybersecurity.

Summary

In this webinar on AI’s impact on cybersecurity, Rob Simopoulos, Co-Founder and CEO of Defendify, and Vince Berk, an expert in AI and cybersecurity, discuss the basics of AI and machine learning, the ethical considerations and biases in AI, the potential job displacement caused by AI, and the skill sets organizations need to explore AI capabilities. They also touch on the use of AI by adversaries in cybersecurity and the importance of data scientists in navigating the challenges of training machine learning models. The conversation explores the use of AI in cybersecurity and the potential risks and benefits associated with it. It discusses the use of AI models like ChatGBT and Microsoft Co-pilot in accessing and analyzing sensitive information. The conversation also highlights the importance of data governance and the challenges of managing and securing data in organizations. It touches on the role of AI in threat detection and response, as well as the potential for AI to be used by adversaries in conducting attacks. The conversation concludes with a discussion on emerging technologies in cybersecurity and the potential for new roles and careers in the field.

Takeaways

• AI is the art of classifying or finding patterns in data, while machine learning is the process of training a machine to make sense of the data.
• Large language models, such as GPT, are neural networks that can carry on conversations and predict the next word in a sentence based on context.
• Ethical considerations in AI include handling biases in training data and being cognizant of the limitations and context of AI’s decision-making.
• AI will replace some jobs, but it will also create new jobs and change the nature of existing jobs.
• Organizations need programmers and data scientists to explore AI capabilities, depending on the specific problem they are trying to solve.
• Adversaries are using AI in cybersecurity attacks, and organizations need to be vigilant in protecting themselves.
• Data scientists play a crucial role in navigating the challenges of training machine learning models and addressing biases in AI. AI models like ChatGBT and Microsoft Co-pilot can be used to access and analyze sensitive information, highlighting the importance of data governance and data security in organizations.
• AI can enhance threat detection and response in cybersecurity, but the challenge lies in effectively correlating and analyzing diverse sources of telemetry data.
• The use of AI by adversaries in conducting attacks, such as using AI-generated code or deepfake techniques, poses new challenges for cybersecurity.
• Emerging technologies in cybersecurity, such as more energy-efficient neural networks and agent-based AIs, show promise in improving cybersecurity practices.
• New roles and careers in cybersecurity may emerge, focusing on data governance, integration, and ethical deployment of AI technologies.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Overview
03:19 Understanding the Basics of AI and Machine Learning
10:25 Ethical Considerations and Biases in AI
13:45 The Potential Job Displacement Caused by AI
27:30 Adversaries’ Use of AI in Cybersecurity
29:50 The Role of Data Scientists in AI
30:17 Accessing and Analyzing Sensitive Information with AI Models
32:07 The Importance of Data Governance and Security
40:12 AI’s Role in Threat Detection and Response
45:20 Challenges of Correlating and Analyzing Telemetry Data
46:06 The Potential Risks of AI-Enabled Attacks
51:21 Emerging Technologies in Cybersecurity
53:17 New Roles and Careers in Cybersecurity

Guest

Dr. Vince Berk,
Chief Strategy Officer at Quantum Xchange, former CTO of Riverbed, and member of Forbes Technology Council.

Energetic technologist, entrepreneur, and animated thought leader in cyber security. PhD in AI/ML; driving growth through innovative SaaS solutions. Founder and CEO of FlowTraq, a cyber security company acquired by Riverbed. Blogger; public speaker; startup advisor.