Leading Australian cybersecurity specialists CMTG are at the forefront of addressing the emerging challenges posed by the increasing usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The rapid adoption of AI is improving many aspects of everyday life, but the speed of innovation is presenting new risks.
CMTG Founder and Director, Carl Filpo, emphasises the importance of addressing the cybersecurity implications of AI usage.
"As AI continues to expand its influence, there are growing concerns regarding its potential cybersecurity implications," he says.
"While AI offers immense benefits, it also presents new challenges and vulnerabilities that must be addressed to safeguard sensitive information and protect against cyber threats."
Recent data breaches have highlighted the risk of hackers stealing the personal data of an organisation's customer base and Carl notes the rapid adoption of AI systems has expanded the attack surface for cybercriminals.
"AI systems are seen as lucrative targets for hackers given the vast amounts of data they generate," he adds.
"Many AI systems rely on an extensive amount of personal data to make accurate predictions and decisions and if this data is not properly safeguarded it can be exposed or exploited by malicious actors."
To combat this threat, Carl says organisations should implement strong data protection mechanisms, including data encryption, access controls, and anonymisation techniques, to uphold privacy standards while utilising AI technologies.
He also warns AI systems can be targeted in adversarial attacks, such as attempts to manipulate AI algorithms, inject malicious data, or poison training datasets to compromise the integrity and reliability of AI-driven systems, causing harm to businesses.
These attacks look to deceive the AI system by introducing carefully crafted data to manipulate the algorithm, causing the system to misclassify or make incorrect decisions.
"The potential for adversarial attacks is probably something that isn't talked about enough among the business community, but they can have significant consequences." Carl says.
"For example, AI is increasingly used as part of image recognition systems, which malicious actors could deceive into misidentifying objects.
"It may sound minor, but it can have dire consequences when we are talking about critical applications like in autonomous vehicles or medical diagnostics."
To combat these rising cybersecurity threats, Carl says organisations need to enlist a trusted cybersecurity partner to secure their AI infrastructure to prevent unauthorised access and manipulation.
"AI has immense potential to drive innovation and efficiency across industries. However, with every technological advancement comes new challenges," he says.
"CMTG believes a proactive approach to cybersecurity is essential in mitigating the risks associated with AI adoption."
As AI continues to transform industries, CMTG remains dedicated to staying at the forefront of cybersecurity. With their expertise and innovative solutions, they enable organisations to embrace AI with confidence, knowing that their digital ecosystems are protected from evolving cyber threats.
