Cybersecurity in the age of AI | Adi Irani | TEDxDESC Youth

Summary

The speaker emphasizes the critical role of data security in our increasingly digital world, highlighting the potential for AI to be misused by hackers to create malware and exploit codes. They illustrate the threat with an example of an AI-generated virus and discuss the prevalence of social engineering attacks. The talk concludes with strategies for leveraging AI to enhance cybersecurity, such as using generative models to parse legal terms and detect social engineering, emphasizing the collective responsibility to ensure data security for a safer digital future.

Takeaways

• 🔒 Data security is paramount as our reliance on data-driven technologies increases.
• 🚀 AI's potential for generating malware and exploit code poses a significant threat to cybersecurity.
• 🤖 AI can be used by hackers to craft convincing social engineering attacks, making it harder to distinguish between real and fake content.
• 📈 The success rate of phishing attacks has significantly increased when personalized, highlighting the effectiveness of AI in social engineering.
• 🚨 Major companies, like Toyota, have suffered from severe data breaches, emphasizing the need for improved cybersecurity measures.
• 🔎 AI can be a double-edged sword, used both to create threats and to bolster defenses in cybersecurity.
• 🛡️ Utilizing AI to read and understand lengthy terms and conditions can help users make informed decisions about data privacy.
• 👀 AI can assist in detecting social engineering attacks by recognizing patterns in the content it can generate.
• 💼 Programmers can leverage AI to automate mundane coding tasks, allowing them to focus on more critical security aspects.
• 🌐 Collective responsibility is essential for ensuring the security of the tools that drive technological advancements.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the speaker's talk?

The main focus of the speaker's talk is the security and safety of data in the face of increasing cyber attacks and data breaches, particularly in the context of advanced technologies like AI, IoT, and self-driving cars.

Why is data considered the 'new gold'?

Data is considered the 'new gold' because it is a valuable asset that drives various technologies and operations in our daily lives, much like how gold has historically been a measure of wealth and value.

What is the significance of the speaker mentioning AI's ability to write malware?

The speaker highlights AI's ability to write malware to underscore the potential dangers of AI falling into the wrong hands. It demonstrates that AI can be used to create sophisticated and hard-to-detect viruses, which poses a significant threat to cybersecurity.

What is a polymorphic, self-encrypting virus and why is it concerning?

A polymorphic, self-encrypting virus is a type of malware that can change its appearance, making it difficult to detect and track by antivirus software. It is concerning because it can evade security measures and remain undetected, potentially causing significant damage.

Why are companies like Toyota vulnerable to data breaches despite their size?

Companies, even large ones like Toyota, can be vulnerable to data breaches due to neglecting cybersecurity measures. The speaker cites a decade-long data breach at Toyota as an example of how even major companies can suffer from inadequate cyber policies.

What is social engineering and how does AI contribute to it?

Social engineering is a type of cyber attack that involves manipulating humans to perform actions or divulge sensitive information. AI contributes to social engineering by generating convincing and personalized content that can trick individuals into falling for scams or revealing information.

How can AI help in fighting back against cyber threats?

AI can help fight back against cyber threats by reading and understanding complex terms and conditions to inform users about data handling practices, detecting social engineering attacks by recognizing patterns in generated content, and automating mundane coding tasks to allow programmers to focus on more critical security aspects.

What is the role of generative AI in enhancing cybersecurity?

Generative AI plays a role in enhancing cybersecurity by automating the detection of social engineering attacks, helping users understand how their data is handled by companies, and assisting programmers in writing secure code, thus contributing to a robust cyber strategy.

Why is it important for everyone to be responsible for cybersecurity?

Everyone should be responsible for cybersecurity because it is a collective effort that protects individual data and ensures the safe use of technologies that are integral to modern life. The speaker emphasizes that cybersecurity is beyond any single individual and is crucial for the advancement of society.

What is the speaker's final message regarding the use of AI and cybersecurity?

The speaker's final message is that to truly progress and 'go beyond the human,' it is imperative to ensure that the tools used for this progress, such as AI, are safe and secure. This underscores the importance of considering cybersecurity in the development and use of advanced technologies.

Outlines

00:00

🔒 The Vulnerability of Data in the Digital Age

The speaker begins by emphasizing the critical role of data in modern technology, such as IoT, self-driving cars, AI, and neural interfaces. They raise concerns about data security, questioning the adequacy of measures to protect data from cyber threats. The talk focuses on the escalating risks of cyber attacks and data breaches, highlighting the potential for significant long-term damage if cybersecurity is neglected. The speaker warns of the dangers of AI being used by hackers to write malware and exploit code, demonstrating this with an example of an AI-generated polymorphic virus. They also touch on the underreported issue of major companies, like Toyota, suffering from data breaches, emphasizing the need for improved cybersecurity measures.

05:02

🛡 Combating Cyber Threats with AI

In the second paragraph, the speaker discusses the increasing difficulty in distinguishing between AI-generated and authentic content, citing a study that shows personalized phishing attacks have a high success rate. They argue that data security is not just a technological issue but a personal one, as it can be used to manipulate individuals. The speaker suggests using AI generative models to read and understand complex terms and conditions, to detect social engineering attacks, and to write routine code, thereby allowing developers to focus on more critical security aspects. The talk concludes with a call to action for everyone to take responsibility for cybersecurity, emphasizing that it is essential for the advancement of society.

Keywords

💡Data Security

Data security refers to the measures taken to protect an individual's or organization's data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of data security in an era where data is considered the 'new gold.' The script highlights the increasing reliance on data for various technologies, such as the Internet of Things, self-driving cars, and AI, making it crucial to ensure that data is secure from hackers, as exemplified by the speaker's concern about the escalating cyber attacks and data breaches.

💡Cyber Attacks

Cyber attacks are attempts to damage or disrupt computer systems, networks, or data. The video script mentions the exponential growth in the size and severity of cyber attacks, which underscores the urgency of addressing data security. The speaker uses the example of Toyota's decade-long data breach to illustrate the real-world consequences of neglecting cyber security, highlighting the vulnerability of even major corporations to such attacks.

💡AI and Malware

The script discusses the capability of AI to assist in writing malware, which is malicious software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's informed consent. The speaker demonstrates this by asking an AI to generate a polymorphic, self-encrypting virus, a type of malware that can change its appearance to evade detection by antivirus software. This example from the script illustrates the dual-use nature of AI, which can be harnessed for both beneficial and harmful purposes.

💡Social Engineering

Social engineering is the act of manipulating people to perform actions or divulge confidential information. The video script points out that 41% of major breaches occur due to social engineering attacks, where hackers exploit human psychology rather than technical vulnerabilities. The speaker provides a hypothetical scenario involving 'John Doe,' where AI is used to craft a convincing script that could trick him into clicking on a malicious link, demonstrating the potential of AI in facilitating such attacks.

💡Polymorphic Virus

A polymorphic virus is a type of malware that can alter its code structure to avoid detection by antivirus software. The script describes an AI-generated polymorphic, self-encrypting virus, which changes its appearance at will, making it difficult to track and undetectable by most antivirus solutions. This example is used in the video to illustrate the advanced capabilities of AI in creating sophisticated threats to cybersecurity.

💡Data Breach

A data breach occurs when unauthorized individuals gain access to sensitive information. The video script references Toyota's data breach, which compromised millions of user accounts over a decade. This example is used to highlight the severity of data breaches and the long-term consequences of inadequate cybersecurity measures.

💡Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity encompasses the technologies, processes, and practices designed to protect networks, devices, programs, and data from cyber attacks. The speaker in the video emphasizes the need for robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard against the growing threat of cyber attacks. The script calls for a proactive approach to cybersecurity, suggesting that it is a shared responsibility and critical for the advancement of technology.

💡AI Generative Models

AI generative models are systems that can create new content, such as text, based on patterns learned from existing data. The video script suggests using these models to read and understand lengthy terms and conditions, helping users make informed decisions about how their data is handled. This example illustrates the potential of AI to assist in enhancing data security and user awareness.

💡Personalization in Cyber Attacks

The script mentions a 2021 study that found personalized phishing attacks have a success rate of 51%, highlighting the effectiveness of personalization in cyber attacks. Personalization makes attacks more convincing by tailoring them to the target's specific circumstances, as demonstrated in the hypothetical scenario involving 'John Doe.' This keyword emphasizes the need for vigilance against attacks that appear increasingly genuine.

💡Smart Devices

Smart devices, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Home, are internet-connected devices that can collect and process data. The video script uses these devices as examples of how personal data can be collected and potentially compromised, emphasizing the ubiquity of data collection in modern life and the importance of securing this data.

💡Cataclysm

In the context of the video, a 'cataclysm' refers to a disastrous event that could result from the failure to address cybersecurity issues. The speaker warns of a potential cataclysm where personal data becomes the victim of increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks, underscoring the urgent need for improved cybersecurity measures to prevent such a catastrophe.

Highlights

Data is increasingly important in our daily lives, with technologies like IoT, self-driving cars, and AI relying on it.

The security of data is a major concern, especially with the rise in cyber attacks and data breaches.

Neglecting cybersecurity can empower hackers and lead to significant long-term costs.

AI models like OpenAI, ChatGPT, and GitHub's Copilot are powerful tools that can be misused by hackers.

AI's ability to write malware and exploit code poses a significant threat to internet infrastructure.

AI can create polymorphic, self-encrypting viruses that are difficult to detect by antivirus software.

Hackers can use AI to craft convincing social engineering attacks that manipulate humans.

AI-generated content is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from real content.

Personalized phishing attacks have seen a success rate jump from 18% to 51%.

Data security is crucial as it can be used by hackers to control individuals like a puppet.

Cybersecurity must be a collective responsibility to ensure the safety of the tools we use.

AI can be used to read and understand long terms and conditions to help make informed decisions about data handling.

Generative AI can detect social engineering attacks by recognizing patterns in the content it generates.

Programmers can use AI to write boilerplate code, allowing them to focus on more critical aspects of system security.

A robust cyber strategy involving AI can secure data efficiently and effectively.

The importance of considering cybersecurity in our pursuit of technological advancement is emphasized.

Transcripts

ladies and gentlemen data is the new

gold we are becoming more and more

involved with it in our daily lives

whether it be the Internet of Things

self-driving Cars Smart AI or even the

up and cominging neuralink all of them

rely on the flow of data to operate with

increasing Reliance on data to drive

day-to-day operations this begs the

question how do we know that all of this

data is secure and safe from the hands

of hackers

this is a question that goes mostly

unanswered and will be the main focus of

my talk today with cyber attacks and

data breaches escalating exponentially

in size and severity neglecting cyber

security is an issue that empowers

hackers Beyond anyone's wildest

imaginations and a mistake that will

cost us colossally in the long

run now in order to truly go beyond the

human in order to truly move forward as

a species we must ensure that the tools

we use to do so are safe and secure for

every everyone to

use now I would like to set the scene

I'm sure you've all seen the advanced AI

models and their magical capabilities uh

open AI uh chat GPT Google's B github's

co-pilot you name it you some of you

might have even used it to increase your

productivity tenfolds ladies and

gentlemen what if I told you that you

were not the only people using these to

increase your

productivity as it stands like a dog is

a man's best friend AI is a hacker's

best friend and it proves a surprisingly

capable assistant in manipulating both

the human and the

computer now this brings me to my first

point which is ai's ability to write

malware and exploit code now while AI

models are centuries even Millennia away

from actually replacing programmers

that's not to say that they aren't

efficient at writing code namely

dangerous code that can be used against

internet infrastructure and systems

worldwide to prove prove my point I

asked a nondescript AI to write me

malware now disclaimers do not under any

circumstances do this this is for

educational purposes only that being

said this is its response and here is

what it

returned Now ladies and gentlemen this

right here is a polymorphic

self-encrypting virus what this virus

does for those of you who are unfamiliar

with computer terminology is it is a

virus that can change its appearance at

will which makes it very very difficult

to track and basically makes it go

undetected by most antivirus Solutions

today now keep in mind ladies and

gentlemen that this was created in

seconds by a board high schooler imagine

what a hacker with more Ingenuity and

more time on their hands can do is this

terrifying you yet it gets

worse consider the fact that most

companies nowadays neglect cyber

security yes even the major ones for for

example Toyota in May 2023 released

released the fact that they had been the

victim of a decade long data breach

which compromised millions of user

accounts with cyber attacks increasing

rampantly and becoming much more Savage

and companies stagnating and refusing to

improve their cyber policies this stands

to lead to a cataclysm ladies and

gentlemen in which your data is the

victim

now the intrinsic value of AI to a

hacker is not in its ability to write

bad code it is actually in its ability

to manipulate people social engineering

is a class of attack that is becoming

increasingly more prevalent with 41% of

major breaches happening due to uh this

type of attack now it it is an attack

which involves a hacker manipulating a

human and coercing them into try uh into

doing their

bidding so AI can also help with this in

a very very efficient manner now now

let's take a look at this from the hands

of a hacker right so here is our victim

John Doe so we want is Bank details the

first step is we basically compile a

list of public information so we found

online via social media and other forums

that he's 23 he's Junior analyst uh he's

a bit of a hustler and he's kind of

struggling with his finances so we Ed

this and feed it to this AI model once

again non descript for legal reasons and

it returns a very very efficient very

very convincing script over here which

is sent which would be sent in an email

to him which would get him to click on a

mips link now this uh email prompt uses

time urgency and consequences introduces

consequences in order to get him to

click on a link now Ladi and gentlemen

you might think that oh yeah this is

just a simple scam email I won't fall

for this well I have two things is safe

to that both of them indicate that you

are wrong first off it is becoming

increasingly harder for people to tell

the difference between AI generated

content and real content and second off

a 2021 study conducted by it firm AAG

looked into fishing attacks and found

that the success rate jumped from 18% to

51% when the attacks were personalized

like we did here now ladies and

gentlemen that is a coin toss

probability do you want the Integrity of

your

data reliant on a coin

TOS now some of you might roll your eyes

At The Mention of your data think it's

completely different completely separate

from who you are as a person and think

it has no bearing on your life well

let's contextualize this ladies and

Gentlemen let's play a game raise your

hands if you have bought something

online at any point in

time raise your hands if you have

private documents on your computer or if

youve done something private

online

raise your hands ladies and gentlemen if

you have a smart device such as an

Amazon Alexa or Google home sitting in

your house right

now the majority of you said yes ladies

and gentlemen all this data act as

strings to which a sufficiently skilled

hacker can control you like a puppet as

a result security of your data

matters now we've kind of looked at how

exactly hackers can use modern

Technologies to kind of uh you know

Havoc start chaos but one thing I think

that is even more important is how do we

fight back Where Do We Go From Here

simple We Fight Fire with Fire so you

can use these AI generative models as

well to uh read Kafkaesque absurdly long

terms and conditions to actually make

informed decisions based on how the

companies how companies handle your data

this is a very efficient tool as it

allows you to get to what matters most

Furthermore with the rise of social

engineering ing attacks you can also use

generative AI to detect these social

engineering attacks as these models are

very efficient at detecting what they

have generated

furthermore if you are a programmer you

can also use generative AI to write

mundane boilerplate code in templates so

you can focus on the bigger picture as a

whole uh you know system security

scalability and efficiency all of this

combines to make a very very very robust

cyber strategy and secure your data

pretty efficiently Now ladies and

gentlemen as I've said before in order

to truly go beyond the human cyber

security must be considered in order it

is something that is beyond every single

one of us and it is something that we

are all responsible for in order to

usher in a new age we must make sure

that the tools used to do so are safe

thank you ladies and

[Applause]

gentlemen