CS Mar-Apr 2024

More documents

Recommendations

Info

artificial intelligence WHY AI DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THE ENEMY AI AND HUMANITY ARE PARTNERS, NOT ADVERSARIES, ARGUES ONE OBSERVER. RECOGNISING THIS CAN BRING A FUTURE WHERE AI EMPOWERS, RATHER THAN ENDANGERS, OUR SPECIES The question of whether AI has slipped from our grasp, careening towards an apocalyptic singularity, ignites a primal fear within us, points out LiveAction founder John Smith. "While Hollywood depictions of sentient robots wreaking havoc paint a chilling picture, the reality, for now, is far less dramatic," he suggests. "True, we haven't achieved the mythical 'general intelligence' in AI. Today's systems, despite their impressive feats, remain confined to narrow tasks and often stumble with issues like accuracy, bias and even hallucinatory outputs. It's like handing a toddler a paintbrush: the results, while undeniably creative, can be messy and unpredictable." However, dismissing AI as harmless would be a dangerous oversight, warns Smith. Despite its limitations, it's already deeply woven into our lives, powering algorithms that influence news feeds, filter financial transactions and even diagnose diseases. This raises a crucial question: who holds the reins? "Thankfully, the answer isn't some renegade Skynet. Companies and governments, for all their flaws, are still the ones pulling the strings. AI regulations, though nascent, are evolving, striving to ensure ethical deployment and safeguard against misuse. This isn't foolproof, but it's a vital line of defence." Perhaps a more pressing concern lies not in AI itself, but in the hands wielding it. "Malicious actors, armed with AI tools, pose a genuine threat. But let's not forget the destructive track record of our own species. Wars, social divisions, environmental devastation - humanity, armed with primitive tools, has already inflicted immense harm on itself and the planet. This begs a critical question: are we projecting our own flaws onto AI, fearing the monster we ourselves created? The truth is, AI isn't some external bogeyman. It's a reflection of ourselves, a tool shaped by our values and intentions." Instead of succumbing to dystopian fantasies, he advises, perhaps we should turn the lens inward. "If we truly fear AI becoming 'out of control', then perhaps the question we should be asking isn't 'can we control it?' but 'can we control ourselves?' Ultimately, AI can be a powerful force for good or ill. The choice lies not in some hypothetical singularity, but in the present decisions we make, the values we instil in both our technology and ourselves. It's time to move beyond the 'AI vs. humanity' narrative and recognise that, in this technological dance, we’re partners, not adversaries. Only then can we truly orchestrate a future where AI empowers, rather than endangers, our species." FEAR OF EXPOSURE As technology advances at an accelerated rate, many organisations - particularly those handling sensitive data or under public or regulatory scrutiny - may feel a heightened sense of exposure with the advancement of AI, concurs Keiron Holyome, VP UKI & Emerging Markets, BlackBerry. "These concerns are valid. Our latest research identified a 50% uptick in targeted cyberattacks against national infrastructure. We also saw a 70% increase in new malware identified. These indicators suggest that adversarial entities are taking advantage of technological innovation - including AI - against critical industries and organisations. "Although it's difficult to tell if a hack has come from a human or AI source, we'd be naïve to deny that malicious actors are employing AI in increasing efforts to broaden their scope, increase effectiveness and amplify the frequency of attacks to circumvent defensive measures. For instance, threat actors can abuse ChatGPT and other Large-Language Models (LLMs) to generate potentially malicious code or to create more authentic and persuasive phishing content." AI HAS ITS SAY So, what might AI itself have to say about all this? Well, here follow some thoughts along that very line, partially rendered by AI and partly by human input, namely Gareth Owen, director, Redkey USB: "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought us to a critical juncture in its evolution. AI's profound impact on industries and our daily lives raises a vital question: Is AI already beyond control? As we integrate AI more deeply into our systems, the echoes of cautionary tales like those depicted in the film 'I, Robot' become increasingly relevant. This classic film foresaw the need for stringent rules to govern AI behaviour, famously encapsulated in its 'Three Laws of Robotics.' "Today, as AI evolves and becomes more autonomous, it's clear that the concerns and considerations portrayed in 'I, Robot' years ago are more than just science fiction; they are rapidly becoming our reality. The film's foresight underscores the urgency for the industry to implement similar foundational rules and ethical guidelines in AI development to safeguard our future. 14 computing security March/April 2024 @CSMagAndAwards www.computingsecurity.co.uk
artificial intelligence "In an intriguing plot twist, much like many other contemporary writings, this article was created with assistance from AI. And, in alignment with its insights, one must ponder the potential enhancements AI brings to human capabilities. Are we on the cusp of a new era of coexistence or are we approaching a risky precedent? "The 'black box' nature of AI makes its decision-making process often inscrutable, even to its creators. As AI systems grow in complexity, the chances of unintended biases and errors increase. This uncertainty raises crucial questions about responsibility and control in AI-driven decisions. Harnessing AI's power responsibly is imperative. We must not let AI run without oversight. The future of AI should be a collaborative journey, with humanity at the helm, guiding it with wisdom and foresight. Only time will tell if we are now already, in a sense, AI-enhanced. "As we reflect on AI's role in our lives and its creation of this article, we are reminded of the need for thoughtful, proactive measures in AI governance. Implementing robust, ethical frameworks akin to the 'Three Laws' envisioned in 'I, Robot' is no longer a futuristic concept, but a present-day necessity." That’s some collaboration, certainly. But does it leave you more reassured about the technology - or simply more queasy. HIGHLY TRAINED ASSAILANTS As of January 2024, the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has warned that AI tools will increase the volume and impact of cyberattacks, including ransomware, in the next two years. It will allow unskilled threat actors to conduct more sophisticated attacks. Jovana Macakanja, intelligence analyst with Cyjax, points out that threat actors are already using AI tools based on ChatGPT, which itself has had a profound influence on modern society and is entering common parlance. "In mid-July 2023, the generative AI cybercrime tool WormGPT was advertised on underground forums as a tool for launching phishing and business email compromise (BEC) attacks," she says. "Allegedly trained on several undisclosed data sources concentrating on malware-related data, it can produce phishing emails which are persuasive and sophisticated." People have always been sceptical of AI technology and its effect on humanity, she continues. "These fears often play out in popular fiction as evil robots taking over the world. While that eventuality is far-off at present, AI's continued maturation is resulting in people losing jobs, which could gravely impact the economy, and is making it difficult to discern between AI-generated and humancreated content. Students use ChatGPT to write assignments, medical tools identify various disorders or cancers, with diagnostic capabilities rivalling those of specialists, and a popular publishing house has used AI to replace a range of editorial roles. AI also poses significant ethical implications, as it lacks real, logical human-thinking, and is susceptible to inaccuracies and biases from the data sources it has been fed." While the technology is still developing and may not yet be out of control itself, Macakanja accepts, the use of it by humans for nefarious ends is already uncontrollable. "Its future technological applications could easily spiral and get out of hand, as machine learning advances. Due to the rapid growth in AI capabilities, legislation surrounding the technology will quickly become outdated and need to be freshly examined." UNPREDICTABLE AI The baseline danger around AI springs from the fact that we cannot predict what it will do, says Aleksi Helakari, head of technical office, EMEA - Spirent. "Traditional tools and software were clearly defined and we could accurately predict outcomes. AI, however, learns and changes autonomously, and a great deal of speculation around the future of Keiron Holyome, BlackBerry Cybersecurity: naïve to deny that malicious actors are employing AI in increasing efforts to broaden their scope. John Smith, LiveAction: perhaps a more pressing concern lies not in AI itself, but in the hands wielding it. www.computingsecurity.co.uk @CSMagAndAwards March/April 2024 computing security 15
Page 1: Computing Security Secure systems,
Page 4 and 5: Secure systems, secure data, secure
Page 6 and 7: news TORSION ANNOUNCES FILING OF PA
Page 8: news Greg Wetmore, Entrust. TIME TO
Page 11 and 12: legal focus GETTING YOUR ACT TOGETH
Page 13: artificial intelligence stratospher
Page 17 and 18: Computing Security Secure systems,
Page 19 and 20: 2024 predictions ?? ? actors can so
Page 21 and 22: 2024 predictions ?? ? security is t
Page 23 and 24: iometric cybersecurity the previous
Page 25 and 26: data management NEW DATA STATS ARE
Page 27 and 28: energy industry incidents in 2020 -
Page 29 and 30: ansomware NEW THREAT ACTORS SEND RA
Page 31 and 32: penetration testing I.T. SYSTEMS RE
Page 33 and 34: endpoint protection GETTING STRAIGH

CS Mar-Apr 2024

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?