With more devices being introduced to the corporate network, enterprises are facing an onslaught of cyber security challenges as constant threats are becoming much more sophisticated and prevalent. The prospect of data breaches, loss of sensitive data, or network crashes forces corporations to implement security measures and build cyber security strategies to protect digital assets and keep up with—if not get ahead of—hackers and other cybercriminals.
As enterprises realize that cyber threats are too great to manage without advanced technology, artificial intelligence (AI) is being introduced to monitor networks, manage risks, detect threats, and identify fraud. In fact, the market for AI in security is expected to reach more than $35 billion by 2024.
While there is a seemingly endless number of solutions available addressing all manner of threats, real-time threat detection, malware detection and software-vulnerability detection are three areas that show great promise for enterprise security.
Real-Time Threat Detection
AI’s ability to manage massive amounts of data faster than any human has helped enterprises defend themselves from potential cyber attacks. By spotting anomalies in behavior patterns of people, data, applications or devices, enterprises are stopping attacks well before they start. Information analyzed by AI can be collected for historical reference to further detect patterns that could indicate future potential attacks. In essence, the system gets more intelligent overtime, which increases its effectiveness and value.
Malware Detection
Malware, such as botnets, ransomware, and cryptominers are compromising network security and overwhelming computer resources with the installation of backdoors or scraping data. By analyzing data and spotting events that aren’t considered normal, (i.e. a spike in power consumption every night between midnight and 4 a.m.), AI enables enterprises to detect and stop malware immediately by shutting down any unusual activity and quarantining unrecognized apps. In addition, AI can “learn” from older malware codes to detect new or mutated versions of malware, further protecting organizations even as cyber threats evolve.
Software Vulnerability Detection
A growing number of companies are adopting practices to deliver applications and services at higher velocities, giving them an advantage over competitors. By sharing and releasing information faster than ever, the possibility of errors in code increases, leading to vulnerabilities in the software. However, ensuring code is error-free is a near-impossible task for humans to accomplish - what would take developers weeks, AI can do accurately in minutes.
As cyber threats adapt and evolve, so do AI technology and enterprise security. By augmenting the work of cybersecurity professionals and filling the gaps in current IT security strategies, AI is giving enterprises the power to protect themselves against cyber threats and bolster their security efforts.
