You should be aware of evolving cyber threats before we move on to the companies that are working to protect you and everyone else from them. One of the biggest evolving threats is the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to cybercrimes.
Cybercriminals are training AI algorithms to record speech data from individuals and then reassemble messages syllable by syllable. They can then use this reassembled message capability and combine it with natural language algorithms to telephone that person’s friends and relatives and direct them to send money to places from which they would benefit.
This is just one level of the so-called “deep fake” technology where people can be recreated in virtual environments and direct unsuspecting people to do undesirable things.
AI is also being used to create ever more convincing phishing attacks on people’s and businesses’ emails. Sometimes, cybercriminals are even able to create a browser screen within a real browser screen to eavesdrop on users while they enter credit card numbers, usernames, passwords etc.
Cybercriminals are even hacking into people’s cars. As automakers have added more “X by wire” technology to their products, such as brake by wire, throttle by wire, parking brake by wire, etc., they have inadvertently opened up the ability to let criminals control people’s cars remotely.
They can then demand ransom money to relinquish control back to the driver. Imagine how serious this problem could get in the future when vehicles are capable of complete autonomous operation and all the vehicle’s systems (including the steering) have the potential to be controlled by hackers.
The Latest Trends in Countering Cybercriminals
In case the last few paragraphs scared the heck out of you, you should know that organizations and governments around the globe are taking these threats and many others very seriously. The National Science Foundation announced at the start of May that it will invest $140 million in 7 AI research institutes, which among other things will address current and prospective threats from cybercriminals.
One company that’s highly regarded for being on the leading edge of cybersecurity, from both day-to-day and research perspectives is Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW). Within the company, there’s a special consulting group known as Unit 42. This group is made up of industry experts and cybercrime researchers. According to the FBI, Unit 42 has solved some of the highest profile domestic and international cyberattacks in the past decade.
In addition, Unit 42 is constantly monitoring data from the company’s commercial security firewalls to look for new versions of malware, ransomware, spyware, etc. When the world’s cybercriminals unleash the latest, most destructive cyber viruses, Unit 42 is usually the first to identify them and work to find security measures against them.
Finally, Unit 42 researchers are almost always included in Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) annual rankings of the top 100 cybersecurity researchers.
IBM (NYSE: IBM) may not be the most profitable IT company as it once was, but it still excels on the more intellectual and complicated end of the IT business, and the complexities of cybersecurity are no exception to this. IBM has morphed into a leader in providing complete enterprise cybersecurity solutions to some of the world’s largest and most successful companies. The company offers its clients critical services, such as cloud security, thread detection and response, and specific ways of mitigating risks from ransomware attacks. IBM also offers extensive education and individual certifications in cybersecurity.
Another highly regarded provider of cyber security enterprise solutions is Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO). Its firewalls are known to be among the best available.
How Threats are Being Address
Experts in cybersecurity warn that cyberthreats will likely never go away. They’re just part of the human condition at this point. The key is to construct secure firewalls to key computer infrastructures and find ways of mitigating damages from ransomware. Some experts have even suggested that cybersecurity is such a permanent part of our lives that school children should begin learning about it from an early age.
One final point, even though AI and ML are being used by cybercriminals, AI and ML may also be used to protect computers from these attacks. You see, AI can be used to survey vast amounts of data and learn to recognize various forms of cyberattack threats before humans may be able to perceive them. In this way, AI is both a problem and a solution.
That’s why it’s good to know that more forward-thinking, bigger picture organizations like IBM, PANW, CSCO, and the National Science Foundation are determined to deal with cyberattacks now and into the future.
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