Cybersecurity an Endless Race in Cyberspace.

If you ever thought the age of The Matrix and Black Mirror was pure science fiction, think again. Artificial intelligence (AI) has infiltrated, and cybersecurity is its new battleground. We're talking about a tool that's not just hacking the security status quo but rewriting the code of cyber defense itself.

AI: The New Code of Cyberspace

AI isn't just a new toy in the ethical hacker's toolbox; it's the tool redefining the game. Its ability to digest and learn from terabytes of data in a time spanning several human lifetimes gives us a brutal edge against threats. Camouflaged malware, suspicious user patterns, instant incident responses – AI's nailing it all.

The most recognized cyberspace conferences, Defcon and Black Hat in Las Vegas, showcased how tech giants are stepping up. AWS introduced significant upgrades to its Guarduty tech, Cisco Systems showcased its masterstroke with Cisco SecureX, while Microsoft threw down its ace: Microsoft Defender for Cloud. And let's not forget Palo Alto Networks, which decided to bring quantum physics into play with Palo Alto Networks Quantum.

On the other hand, while some try to destroy critical infrastructure as if it were a game, AI is becoming our top defender, detecting anomalies and safeguarding systems that are paramount to our society.

Challenges of Privacy and Security

Even though AI might seem like the cure-all, it has its own demons. Hidden biases, insatiable data hunger, and cryptic decisions are all in its nature. And we must remember the dark side of ethics. Who's accountable when AI crosses the line? Privacy is another hot topic, but here, too, AI's showing its bright side, safeguarding data and keeping information in the shadows where it belongs.

Among the top challenges is that most companies building AI's underlying infrastructure must consider privacy and security core architectural requirements. Don't get me wrong: everyone says security's paramount, but actions speak louder. We're so hyped about AI's potential that we repeat past mistakes from designing the internet, the cloud, and other tech in this gold rush. After decades of witnessing the cybersecurity crisis, rising cyberattacks, and cybercrime's professionalization, it's wild to think tech companies fully grasp the implications if they don't prioritize privacy and security from day one.

We're cutting corners, optimizing to hit the market and achieve adoption rather than ensuring privacy and security upfront, weighing every misuse possibility, and placing solid barriers as needed. 

We're still early in the journey toward AI adoption, but the clock's ticking; it's a now-or-never scenario: if we can't find ways to secure infrastructure today, it'll be too harsh later on.

AI on the Frontline

At Hackmetrix, we don't just see the future; we're coding it. With AI, we're redefining vulnerability hunting. It's not just a tool; it's our sidekick in cyberspace. Inspired by giants like ChatGPT and Bard, we're crafting an "AI Copilot" for our hackers. This AI entity assists, suggests, and sometimes even initiates its own attacks.

Imagine this scenario:

A cybercriminal has breached a server exposed to the internet, and somehow, this server is linked to a company's internal network. This server becomes an access point that allows the attacker from Russia to access an organization's internal network in Mexico directly.

In the past, these groups would invest time and resources in manually identifying vulnerable components within the network and gaining control over them using pivoting techniques.

However, the advent of AI has shifted this paradigm. Now, a cybercriminal group can develop an agent with AI capabilities that autonomously decides how to navigate and spread within the network. This agent, driven by the information it collects and processes through its artificial intelligence, makes precise and strategic decisions.

We are witnessing the emergence of a new kind of malware: it’s intelligent and has increased the efficiency of intruders by reducing their efforts by 70% and, at the same time, boosts its impact capacity. It's an era of more agile and accurate cyber threats.

At Hackmetrix, we are developing this new type of technology, but with the mission of protecting our clients. We call it Goodware.

Conclusion

Whenever we say it’s critical to architect new solutions with privacy and security baked in from day one, someone will inevitably say, “We can’t do that because speed to market is critical, and privacy and security don’t make anyone faster.” That’s true; designing with safety in mind will slow us down. We have witnessed how these slowdowns affected other industries and not only accepted this new reality but learned to see it as the right way of doing things. 

Cybersecurity isn't static; it's an endless race in cyberspace. With AI as our ally, we're up for the challenge. Because in this game, it's not just about staying one step ahead but redefining the game itself. See you in the Matrix.