Harnessing AI for Stronger Cybersecurity

As the use of artificial intelligence has exploded throughout both the public and private sectors, much of the attention has been focused on its risks, because the technology is still developing and has the potential to cause harm. Less attention has been paid to how AI can be utilized to improve cybersecurity.

The research firm IDC in its report, AI and Cybersecurity in Federal, State, and Local Governments, noted that AI is already having an impact through intelligent automation. “Efficacy is being demonstrated in its ability to improve threat detection, automate security tasks, and improve security risk analysis,” the IDC research director said. For instance, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency already is using AI in numerous instances to automate security tasks. And during a volatile election season where deepfakes and other ploys can manipulate the public, AI can play a role in safeguarding both voters and voting systems.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the areas of cybersecurity where AI is demonstrating its value, such as threat visibility and anomaly detection
• Outline ways that using AI in cybersecurity actively improves productivity and saves money
• Delineate possible use cases of AI to protect U.S. elections