AI and information security: how to successfully safeguard your data

No matter the size of your organisation, hackers will try every tactic to infiltrate, steal and profit from your valuable business and customer data.

Without a robust framework in place, a successful breach can compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of your data and put your company’s reputation, finances, operations and legal compliance at risk.

Luckily, as the cyber security landscape continues to evolve, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has made implementing information security processes easier than ever before. Stepping in as a powerful cyber ally, AI has the capacity to analyse vast amounts of data in real-time to identify suspicious patterns, anomalies and potential security breaches.

Wondering how your business can bolster its information security processes with the help of AI? We have outlined the key benefits and considerations of adopting this advanced technology to protect your critical data…

Opportunities for AI and information security

One of the main benefits of AI in cyber security is its ability to enhance threat detection within organisations.

Increasingly complex AI and machine learning algorithms can adapt to new attack paths and automatically detect and classify malicious activities within your network, such as malware infections and phishing attempts. With these algorithms in your business’ information security arsenal, you can reduce the reliance on your employees to spot and handle cyber threats — keeping human error at bay.

AI also excels in behaviour-based analytics. After establishing a baseline of your organisation’s regular network, application and user behaviour, artificial intelligence systems can flag deviations from this standard. Raising alerts to suspicious activities and responding in real-time, AI tools can protect your sensitive data from zero-day attacks and other sophisticated threats.

When it comes to information security, making sure you have effective incident response processes is crucial. Without them, how can you demonstrate that your business is serious about its cyber security and the effects it can have on employees, customers and suppliers?

Thanks to AI, you can automate your incident response protocols to isolate any affected business systems, initiate threat containment measures and quickly and efficiently execute predefined responses to retrieve your confidential data. Not only does automating this process relieve the pressure of your cyber security team, but it also ensures a more organised reaction to dangerous information security incidents.

The best thing about utilising machine learning algorithms and AI technologies? These systems continuously improve their accuracy and effectiveness — adapting to the increasing volume of digital information and rising sophistication of fraudsters.

Considerations for business owners

Integrating AI into your information security processes can introduce advantages to your business, but it also has its challenges — including ethical concerns…

For example, using artificial intelligence in threat detection raises questions about data privacy and potential misuse. If you want to implement AI within your cyber security strategies, your business must strike the right balance between security and privacy whilst adhering to strict regulations like GDPR.

Plus, using AI-driven threat detection systems for your information security processes does not guarantee 100% accuracy. These systems can produce false negatives and false positives — letting cyber threats go undetected or misguiding your cyber security teams to act unnecessarily.

And, despite the many ways AI is positively shaping the future of information security, adding these complex systems to your tech stack could also invite adversarial attacks from cyber criminals. This involves manipulating input data to trick artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms — causing them to misclassify or ignore genuine threats.

How to make AI work for your business

For many businesses, the intersection of artificial intelligence and information security is a complex one to navigate.

For your company to safely onboard AI tools and successfully level up its data protection, there are a few steps it must consider…

Define your objectives

Decide the goals for improving your business’ information security processes and how introducing AI will help you achieve them.

Identifying these objectives will not only help you understand where AI is needed and where it is not, but it will also give you an insight into measuring the success of your new systems. For example, has implementing AI systems reduced your threat levels? Has your cyber security team reported fewer network disruptions?

Enforce ethical guidelines

Whether through codes of conduct, checklists or audits, ensure you and your employees comply with the legal and ethical requirements and expectations when using AI tools.

The UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) published a detailed plan for implementing a regulatory framework that all businesses should use as a guide — but it is up to you as a business leader to make sure AI tools are monitored and concerns are addressed as they arise.

It is also essential to stay updated on developments in the field and regularly review and update data privacy policies and practices where necessary.

Educate yourself and your team

Without investing in basic AI training, you could waste the time, money and resources it takes to implement these technologies.

Inefficient use of AI tools can result in higher operational costs, with employees requiring more time to complete tasks. Similarly, without understanding how to navigate the technology and its data, employees could expose your company to costly security risks that could bring operations to a halt.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to get you and your team up to speed with these advanced technologies — from webinars and training workshops to online resources.

Deploy and improve

Once you have found the right AI tools for your information security needs, it is time to integrate them into your operations. Start by rolling it out into one or two areas of cyber security where AI could have the most significant impact, trialling its functionalities with a team ready to deal with any fallout…

Of course, implementing AI is not a one-and-done process. You must continuously monitor and evaluate your solution to ensure it is working correctly — analysing relevant metrics to measure its impact and effectiveness.

However, once these processes are in place, your new data will help identify areas to improve your information security, keeping your business and customer data safe from lethal attacks and breaches.

Our team of experts is here to help you identify cyber security issues and successfully implement the right technologies and information security processes to suit your needs. Call us at 01252 843014 or email info@burningtree.co.uk to find out more today!