Technology moves fast—and unfortunately, that includes cyber threats, which are quickly evolving in sophistication. To keep up, we need to be proactive in our security practices and use the best technology to do so.
That’s where AI comes in. AI has the potential to amplify your cybersecurity practices with automated threat detection and responses, advanced analytics, optimization, and more.
In this article, we’ll explore the key benefits and applications of AI in IT security.
The Current Landscape of AI in Cybersecurity
The truth is, AI is a key player on both sides of the cybersecurity landscape. According to Ernst & Young’s 2024 Human Risk in Cyber Security Survey 53% of workers are concerned that their business will undergo a cyber attack. And 85% believe that AI has increased the finesse of those attacks.
But AI isn’t only a threat. It’s also a strategic advantage if you use it well.
According to a study by IBM, organizations that used security AI and automation extensively in their cybersecurity saved an average of $2.22 million USD. And the average cost of a data breach was $4.88 million, meaning the stakes are high.
Taken together, these figures point to a central truth: AI is a key component of cybersecurity, whether you adopt it or not. But proactively leveraging it can position you advantageously against fast-changing (not to mention costly) threats.
5 Key Benefits of AI in IT Security
Used thoughtfully, AI can revolutionize an organization’s IT security. It adds a layer of depth to how you can detect, prevent, and respond to threats.
Here are five benefits of using AI in your cybersecurity program:
1. Enhanced Threat Detection
While AI has many applications, it is primarily helpful for analyzing vast data sets in real time. Its fast processing speeds, predictive capabilities, scalability, pattern recognition, and continuous learning make it ideal for transforming unstructured data into real-time insights.
So, what does that have to do with cybersecurity? Here’s an example: it could quickly spot deviations from normal system behavior—potentially flagging zero-day vulnerabilities—even if it doesn’t have prior knowledge of a known threat.
2. Automated Response
AI-enhanced security systems don’t just spot threats; they can also respond to them. Automating your security response with AI can significantly reduce the amount of time between threat detection and mitigation. And as any IT security expert knows, those precious minutes of vulnerability can be incredibly costly.
Automated IT security systems can isolate vulnerable systems, revoke access, or update firewall rules in seconds. Combined with active monitoring from an expert cybersecurity team, AI can equip your organization with faster and more effective threat responses.
3. Predictive Analytics
AI doesn’t just compile and analyze data. Its advanced pattern recognition capabilities enable it to use that data to predict potential security vulnerabilities before they ever happen. For example, AI could use past data to identify which systems are most likely to be targeted.
Placing these insights into the hands of a skilled cybersecurity team allows organizations to be proactive about their security strategies, reallocating resources and strengthening defenses before any data has been compromised.
4. Improved Accuracy
AI systems process and analyze data with greater efficiency and accuracy than a human team. In cybersecurity, this means you’d experience fewer false positives, freeing your security team to focus on tackling genuine security risks rather than wasting time, effort and resources.
5. Efficiency and Resource Optimization
Solid IT security is a cornerstone of any healthy business—but that doesn’t mean you want to spend all your time on it. With its powerful automation potential, AI solutions can tackle things like log analysis, vulnerability scanning and patch management. This frees up valuable time for your security team to focus on complex, high-priority initiatives.
5 Practical Applications of AI in IT Security
The benefits of integrating AI into your IT security are clear. But how do you get there?
Here are five of the most impactful ways you could use AI to bolster your cybersecurity:
1. Network Security and Intrusion Detection
Network security and intrusion detection systems (IDPS) can use AI to monitor network traffic in real time. It allows them to identify and respond to potential threats with greater speed and accuracy than ever before.
Empowered by AI, your network security can learn typical network behavior and flag deviations, potentially stopping sophisticated attacks in their tracks.
With AI, you can also automate threat responses so that your security and detection systems can isolate impacted areas or block malicious activity. And with its continuous learning capabilities, your security measures will evolve with the threats, so you never have to worry about being out of step.
2. Endpoint Protection
AI-enhanced endpoint protection uses machine learning and pattern recognition to identify potential threats like malware or ransomware. It hones in on details like typical file behavior, system calls, and user activities to flag actions that deviate from normal patterns.
In the context of remote work, AI can also adapt to new threat landscapes—like the unique security concerns from a dispersed workforce—and create a more dynamic defense to protect your organization, no matter where your employees are sitting.
Meridian can help you integrate AI into your endpoint protection, automating your patching and creating a more secure digital ecosystem.
3. Identity and Access Management
AI’s pattern recognition capabilities can also elevate identity and access control management. By analyzing user behavior, AI-enhanced systems can detect unusual activities and respond accordingly.
For example, if someone suddenly accesses sensitive data from an unusual location or at an atypical time, AI can flag the incident for investigation or trigger authentication protocols.
This helps you keep your most sensitive assets secure without draining your resources or restricting your team’s activities.
4. Threat Hunting and Forensics
With AI’s advanced data analysis capabilities, scouring large datasets to identify threats that evaded detection is no longer a monumental task. Instead, you can automate the process and proactively search your system for evidence of attacks, correlating attack data between sources, reconstructing attack timelines, and speeding up the forensic analysis process.
Then, you can further leverage advanced AI insights to analyze your findings and create a proactive security plan to address and prevent these breaches from recurring.
5. Phishing and Fraud Detection
With natural language processing and machine learning, AI can analyze user behavior and even individual emails to identify phishing and other attempts at fraud. Its language and pattern recognition skills enable it to detect subtle linguistic patterns and visual similarities to other identified phishing emails.
You can also use AI to automate your response to such attempts–filtering fraudulent emails or even flagging incidents for further investigation.
Challenges and Considerations for AI in IT Security
There’s no denying that AI carries numerous potential benefits for IT security systems. Organizations that adopt AI must also contend with its technical, ethical, and operational considerations.
Here are four such concerns to keep in mind:
- Ethical Considerations: AI systems learn from the data users input, meaning that it can replicate and perpetuate any biases present in the training data. Without careful scrutiny, this can lead to unfair or discriminatory outcomes.
- Data Privacy: AI requires access to large amounts of sensitive data if you want to use it for cybersecurity. As such, if you want to implement it, you’ll also need robust data protection measures to safeguard it. This concern is compounded if you’re operating in a highly regulated industry like healthcare or finance, where data privacy is of even greater importance.
- AI-Powered Attacks: The sophistication that lends AI to cybersecurity also makes it an ideal tool for bad actors. Criminals leverage AI technology to develop more advanced threats.
- Integration and Skill Gaps: AI is a powerful asset, but it’s also new technology. Implementing it for a security solution can be complex and may require changes to your current digital infrastructure.
As with any new technology, implementing it requires thoughtfulness and care. Working with an expert may be beneficial. Meridian can help you analyze your current cybersecurity system and leverage the benefits of AI without exposing your organization to unnecessary risks—so you can reap the rewards instead of the consequences.
Your Trusted Partner in AI-Empowered IT Security
AI is undeniably a powerful tool for enhancing your IT security posture. It can help you detect, prevent, and respond to cyber threats quicker, more accurately, and more effectively than before. If you implement it wisely, you can stay ahead of the fast-changing landscape of digital threats.
But implementing such a solution may be easier said than done. Save yourself a headache by partnering with an experienced IT provider like Meridian. We can help you audit your current cybersecurity environment, identify vulnerabilities, and deploy AI-enabled solutions to safeguard your organization’s most critical assets.
