Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2024. Read them in this 16th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
2024 New Years Resolution: Adapting to the Evolving Realm of Generative AI
By Siroui Mushegian, CIO of Barracuda
Security professionals and attackers may have the same New Year’s resolution on their list – leveraging generative AI to benefit their long-term goals.
The prominence of generative AI is a double-edged sword for the technology industry. While artificial intelligence has allowed companies to uplevel their security measures, it has also given attackers an easily accessible way to elevate their attacks and more successfully trick their targets. The inherent challenge lies in the ease with which generative AI facilitates discrete data sharing, complicating detection for security firms.
Entering 2024, I believe that as cybersecurity professionals uplevel their defenses as a result of these emerging technologies, it is imperative for security companies to be vigilant of how attackers are using these technologies and assess the risk this poses to the future of security. As data and AI intertwine, this pairing enables emerging technologies with the seamless sharing of information across the industry, empowering professionals and organizations to learn from one another. As we navigate the complexities and challenges of the coming year, I believe cybersecurity professionals will have to grapple with the dual challenges posed by deceptive AI-driven techniques and the evolving influence of generative AI on security data. Organizations will have to use the information and data learned from others as a result of AI-generated attacks, and use it to their advantage – bettering their own defenses to protect from more effective AI-powered attacks. In 2024, I believe:
Deceptive AI Driven Techniques Will Become Prominent in 2024
The level of sophistication in cybersecurity has evolved exponentially over time, but 2023 saw some of the quickest innovations as generative AI became more prominent. Because these tools are often generally available and easily accessible, we must assess the risk they pose to the current cyber landscape. Generative AI is a double-edged sword for the cybersecurity industry – it is used to make defenders faster and more capable, but it is also doing the same thing for adversaries. Attackers have become more deceptive in their techniques and harder to detect as generative AI gets better and better at impersonating humans, making traditional signs of social engineering harder to identify from the first point of contact. These trends will continue into 2024, and become even more dangerous. The industry’s capabilities must continue to keep pace with attackers’ use of emerging technologies like generative AI and 5G in the coming year.
The Power of Data Will Only Grow in 2024
Generative AI has given us access to incredible, vast amounts of data, but the question remains: what do we do with it? For cybersecurity specifically, AI is not only super powering our response to threats but also super powering our knowledge about adversaries’ tactics, techniques and procedures. AI makes information sharing across the industry easy and more accessible, therefore increasing everyone’s security posture as a whole. The more information available, the better we can equip our proactive, defensive cyber strategy.
A New Years Resolution – Looking into 2024
In the coming year, cybersecurity companies must prioritize a New Year’s resolution centered on strengthening defenses against the evolving landscape of generative AI. As generative AI takes on an increasingly prominent role in emerging technologies throughout 2024, it offers cyber companies the opportunity to enhance their defenses. However, the same advancements also empower hackers to elevate their attacks. This dual dynamic underscores the critical importance for cybersecurity firms to strategize effectively, leveraging AI advancements to fortify defenses while preemptively addressing potential malicious applications by adversaries.
As I make my own resolutions, I believe cybersecurity companies should have their own 2024 New Year’s resolution: finding proactive steps in understanding the risks and fortifying defenses against the threat posed by malicious generative AI.
##
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Siroui Mushegian recently joined Barracuda as Chief Information Officer in June 2023. Siroui brings more than 20 years of executive and IT experience to her role, which spans across all functioning technology that helps support the operations of Barracuda’s business – this includes cybersecurity, infrastructure and operations, Barracuda’s business systems, and new product introduction.
