ISLAMABAD: Business community of Asia including Pakistan are increasingly worried about the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in cyberattacks.
A new Kaspersky study revealed that 76% of surveyed companies reported a rise in cyber incidents over the past year, with almost half of respondents (46%) noting that many of these attacks were likely AI-driven. The study underscores the reality that AI, which has revolutionized numerous industries, is now also empowering cybercriminals, adding an additional layer of complexity to the threats businesses face.
In its latest study titled “Cyber defense & AI: Are you ready to protect your organization?”, Kaspersky gathered the opinions of IT Security and Information Security professionals working for SMEs and Enterprise-level companies regarding new challenges in protecting their organizations against cyberattacks involving the use of AI. The report revealed that leveraging AI by cybercriminals is a serious concern for 72% of respondents. The pressure of this challenge is pushing companies to reassess their cybersecurity strategies and look for solutions that are both proactive and comprehensive. To effectively tackle AI-amplified threats, above 90% businesses consider regular training to build internal expertise , highly qualified personnel and relevant external cybersecurity expertise as the most important factors for protecting their organizations. They also recognize the importance of having enough staff in their IT teams (88%) and using third-party security solutions (86%).
Despite rising awareness, the study revealed a concerning gap in readiness among many companies. Over half of the organizations surveyed lack crucial resources needed to address these sophisticated threats. 57% of the companies don’t have the relevant external cybersecurity expertise at their disposal, 54% report that their IT teams are not large enough, 49% lack highly qualified staff, and 52% fall short in regular training efforts. Additionally, 53% of respondents do not think they have adequate security solutions in place, exposing them to potential vulnerabilities. While most respondents claim to know how to address this lack of resources, the fact remains that they aren’t in place.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024