Artificial Intelligence Appreciation Day has never been more important. Ramprakash Ramamoorthy acknowledges, dissects and explores this technology.
AI has exploded onto the mainstream through generative AI tools like ChatGPT, which attracted a whopping 100 million users within two months. On the extreme end, it’s being used by NASA to generate parts for space travel and by doctors to detect the early signs of lung cancer.
But with great innovation comes great risk. On the Dark Web, hackers have discussed the best ways to use ChatGPT to generate malware. If you ask ChatGPT, it will even tell you how it can be exploited to improve bot attacks.
Ramprakash Ramamoorthy, AI expert and Director of Research, ManageEngine, has provided some commentary on how organisations can strike the right balance between leveraging AI’s opportunities while avoiding its threats.
“Artificial intelligence has been revolutionary for Australia’s IT operations, particularly within the cybersecurity domain. Through AI and machine learning, organisations can identify anomalous activities and maintain a secure environment. AI enables a proactive threat response by identifying deviations in tracked metrics and consistently observing user and entity actions to detect internal threats early.
“These are key benefits for Australian organisations, who are currently battling against ongoing technology skills shortages and an escalating cyber threat environment. A recent survey by the Australian Institute of Criminology found almost half of respondents had fallen victim to cyber-crime over the past year, with small-to-medium businesses among the most targeted. It’s critical to leverage new technologies to combat these threats and ensure organisations don’t suffer financial and reputational damage.
“However, as local businesses increasingly depend on AI, they must also remain on high alert. The same transformative cybersecurity capabilities that make AI indispensable to enterprises can also be exploited by cybercriminals. It’s crucial for organisations to pre-emptively make appropriate technology investments and policy decisions.
“Business leaders should arm their cybersecurity defences with sophisticated threat intelligence systems and behaviour-oriented analytics. Collaboration is paramount, both internally and externally within the cybersecurity community, which includes researchers, professionals, enterprises and policymakers.
“Lastly, business leaders should prioritise ongoing education for themselves and their teams regarding the secure usage of generative AI systems.”
