Email Security Intelligence - The Impact of Artificial and Human Intelligence on Email Security

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has found its way out of science fiction and into reality, becoming highly prevalent in today's industries. AI aims to build and create intelligent systems capable of doing jobs people have been expected to take care of.

There is a lot of discourse regarding whether or not AI can adequately perform all of the functions it is programmed to do as expected. This article will discuss the potential impact of AI on the future of email security, how AI differs from Human Intelligence (HI), and how people’s roles change in the face of AI.

How Do Artificial Intelligence & Human Intelligence Differ?

Artificial Intelligence is a type of science that focuses on building intelligent machines capable of performing various tasks that typically require human Intelligence. These intelligent machines are comprised of knowledge from experience and historical data, analyzing their surrounding environments and performing befitting actions. AI combines several branches of science to leverage concepts and tools from multiple fields, such as computer science, cognitive science, 

linguistics, psychology, neuroscience, and mathematics. 

In contrast, human Intelligence refers to the intellectual capability that allows us to think, learn from different experiences, understand complex concepts, apply logic and reason, and effectively communicate. Human Intelligence is unique in that abstract emotion supports it. Human Intelligence is not limited to patterns and can be adjusted depending on the problems that arise, substantially changing with the nature of the situation.

The goal of human Intelligence is to adapt to new environments by utilizing a combination of different cognitive processes. Artificial Intelligence aims to build machines that imitate human behavior and perform human-like actions. Artificial Intelligence is built to solve problems quickly and efficiently, whereas Human Intelligence takes time to condition the mechanisms. The key difference between natural and Artificial Intelligence is the process of functionality and the time taken by both.

How Is AI Used in Cybercrime?

Threat actors are already taking advantage of AI in several ways. Non-native English speakers can rely on AI services to integrate ransomware and other email threats into victims’ systems. Al is also powered to use IoT devices in attacks, employ botnets in breaches, and identify computer system weaknesses in email security software. Since email threats can more easily be detected using AI, attackers are constantly crafting new mechanisms to utilize in phishing email attacks. They even prepare malicious spear phishing emails that bypass spam filters.

Researchers discovered a system that used “generative grammar” to create a large data set of email messages. Other AI servers can integrate antivirus services, find weaknesses in email security software and malware protection algorithms, and use hacking techniques like guessing passwords and analyzing data sets following a leak.

The spread of misinformation is growing as a trend due to AI technology, which is being used to fake information with malicious intent, which can then be exploited by cybercriminals globally. In 2019, cybercriminals used AI voice-generating software to impersonate the Chief Executive of a UK-based energy company to obtain $243,000 and distribute the transfers of the funds to bank accounts located in Mexico and other countries.

Further, cyberattacks based on AI systems are a growing trend identified by the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) in a 2020 report. The EC3 stated, "Through AI, criminals may facilitate and improve their attacks by maximizing their opportunities for profit in a shorter period of time and create more innovative criminal business models while reducing the possibility of being traced and identified by criminal justice authorities."

Which Is The Better Solution?

AI can outperform humans in specific areas but still has a long way to go before it can match the human brain's capacity. AI requires more time to adjust to new situations, which can be problematic when AI is used as a cyber security tool in a fast-moving industry. Because new cyber and email threats emerge daily, AI must still learn to make logical judgments like humans in unexpected events. However, machine research is not always enough since new strains and attack types evolve daily.

When performed correctly, solutions allow AI and HI to work in tandem to mitigate email security issues. AI's speed and computing capabilities, alongside HI’s ability to verify that the correct data is being transferred, permit the two forms of intelligence to provide the best outcome possible. You can consider HI as a car driver, where AI keeps the driver at the right speed. If something goes wrong, AI relies on HI to care for it and then takes in data based on the outcome.

Impact of AI on Businesses

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Artificial Intelligence provides several benefits for a business, including:

Automation of Tasks

The most obvious impact of AI is the automation of tasks across an extensive range of businesses, changing from manual to digital. Tasks or jobs that incorporate a level of reiteration or the utilization and translation of data are currently conveyed and handled by a computer, sometimes not requiring that a human intervene. This is why companies are now hiring AI prompt engineers to help improve productivity.

Welcome New Chances

As Artificial Intelligence and machine learning execute the manual assignments that no longer require a human to perform, they create opportunities and open doors for the labor force. Digital engineering is an example of an arising calling that transpired because of quick innovation and continued development.

Economic Growth Model

The development of AI should increase productivity growth, inherently increasing economic growth and providing new opportunities for international trade. Current rates of productivity growth globally are low, and various suggested causes exist. With international trade implications, AI will also affect the type and quality of economic growth. For instance, AI is likely to accelerate the transition toward services economies.

Role of Work

Rather than wiping out jobs, AI in the workplace is increasing workers' skill sets. Including Artificial Intelligence in the workforce can improve conditions. According to research, AI will help remove both conscious and unconscious biases in hiring staff. AI will also benefit employees by ensuring the appropriate safety gear is being worn using intelligent scanning technology.

More Opportunity for Creativity

AI-generated content can be of greater quality than that created by humans because AI models can learn from a large amount of data and identify patterns that humans may not be able to see.

African University Stops Cyberattack Using AI

In April 2022, a technology university in Africa stopped a cyberattack using Artificial Intelligence. Attackers attempted to distribute PrivateLoader malware, a pay-per-install service commonly associated with crypto mining and Intellectual Property (IP) theft. The public university receives government-funded research into AI, robotics, and sustainable energy solutions, prime targets for financially motivated cybercriminals and state-sponsored attackers.

The university was targeted during a trial of Darktrace AI in mid-April. The AI technology had formed an understanding of the university's normal operations across its digital estate, which allowed it to spot the odd activity that signified an attack. The AI detected a desktop connecting to a rare external endpoint using a mechanism inconsistent with their technology stack.

The IP address was tracked and found to be related to the service PrivateLoader. The compromised account and device were observed performing activity indicative of “RedLineStealer” and “MarsStealer,” information-stealing malware that exfiltrates data to monetize it through direct use or distribution on darknet sites. Luckily, the AI was able to detect the attack in its early stages, interrupting the threat before any critical research or student data could be compromised. After the attack was quarantined, an investigation into the incident was conducted to ensure future cyber resilience.

Keep Learning About Using AI as a Cybersecurity Tool in Protection Strategies

AI is a valuable cyber security tool shaping the industry and automation, which can become the norm across all sectors when coupled with intelligent workflow. While AI has almost mastered intelligent behavior, it still cannot simulate human thought processes, so AI's future must be governed mainly by people’s capabilities.

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