-An Article by Advocate Vasundhara, Managing Partner, Verum Legal.
In recent years, technology in the global village has emerged swiftly; it not only enhances the ability of netizens to complete their tasks more efficiently but could perhaps be supplemented for several types of jobs being performed by humans till date.
Among these technological innovations, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has grown at a lively pace in the past decade assisting individuals in numerous ways, making their work easier. However, at the same time, where AI has become a boon for some people, alongside its benefits, AI has also been used for malicious purposes. Many users and hackers harness the power of this powerful technology to harm individuals, departments, or businesses. These irresponsible activities are a part of digital crime, i.e. cybercrime.
As they say, “Great power comes with great responsibility,” highlighting the need for careful governance & responsible use of AI to ensure its ethical and secure application in protecting digital assets.
What is AI Governance?
Artificial Intelligence Governance” encompasses guidelines and best practices designed to minimize bias and maximize the benefits of AI technologies. It addresses decision-making, data security, privacy, algorithms, and the societal impacts of AI. The primary rule is to respect ethical and moral considerations. Effective governance ensures the responsible use of AI, promoting accountability, transparency, and explainability. An AI governance framework helps manage ethical concerns and fosters trust among users and stakeholders, ensuring that AI’s advantages are distributed fairly and ethically. This approach goes beyond simple compliance.
Use of AI in Cybersecurity
Cyber threats are a global concern, making the need for effective guidelines and frameworks crucial. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing cybersecurity by enhancing threat identification, response, and management. AI swiftly analyses millions of events to detect various threats, from malware exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities to suspicious activities like phishing attempts. It continuously collects and analyses data from a company’s systems, learning autonomously to identify emerging attack patterns by correlating billions of signals related to the corporate attack surface. This transformative technology helps organizations stay ahead of evolving cyber threats.
The following are some major advantages of integrating AI into cybersecurity:
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Advanced Threat Detection: AI algorithms can examine enormous volumes of data and identify departures from typical conduct, which may indicate a novel approach to cybercrime. This feature of AI aids in detecting risks, such as sophisticated assaults or zero-day vulnerabilities that conventional methods could overlook. -
Enhanced Threat Determination and Identification: Although technology has improved cyber security in several ways, AI) systems are more adept at constant monitoring for threats. They utilise machine learning to spot fresh attack patterns and adjust to changing strategies that were previously challenging to detect and identify. Furthermore, through contextual insights and data analysis from several sources, AI improves threat intelligence by assisting enterprises in better understanding and prioritising threats. -
Faster Incident Response: AI-driven security solutions can automatically take actions like isolating compromised systems or blocking malicious traffic, reducing response time and minimising damage. By analysing historical data and current threat landscapes, AI can predict potential threats and suggest pre-emptive measures to mitigate risks. -
Enhanced Vulnerability Management: AI can assess and prioritise vulnerabilities based on their potential impact and likelihood of exploitation, allowing organisations to address the most critical issues first. It can also automate the scanning of systems for vulnerabilities, improving the efficiency and coverage of vulnerability management efforts.
How Responsible AI will Protect Digital Assets?
Anything solely available digitally and with a specific usage right or licence is considered a digital asset. In the case of Artificial Intelligence and its usage, in order to protect a digital asset, we must ensure that AI is used responsibly and ethically. A set of guidelines known as “responsible artificial intelligence” (AI) helps establish confidence in AI solutions that can empower businesses and their stakeholders. These guidelines aid with AI design, development, deployment, and use. The social impact of AI systems must be considered, and appropriate steps must be taken to ensure that these technologies align with stakeholder values, legal requirements, and ethical standards. This is what can be an aspect of “Responsible AI” which seeks to minimise risks and unfavourable effects of AI use while optimising favourable effects by integrating such ethical concepts into AI applications and workflows.
Additionally, incorporating AI into cybersecurity methods improves overall security posture and operational efficiency. The application ofAI will improve threat detection. AI algorithms will process and analyse data quickly, allowing for the quicker identification of potential threats and anomalies. They will also analyse large amounts of data to detect threats with high precision, reducing false positives and negatives.AI-driven solutions can minimise damage and reaction times by automating actions in response to recognised threats, such as blocking malicious communications or isolating compromised computers.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
First Published: Sep 24 2024 | 10:47 AM IST