Statistics shared by the World Economic Forum in 2024 show healthcare and finance to be the top two industries most targeted by cybercriminals. The data held by companies in those industries is not only very sensitive but also extremely valuable to hackers.
However, recent trends suggest that cybercriminals may be adding some new targets to their hit list. The widespread adoption of artificial intelligence in virtually every industry has caused many companies to begin collecting valuable data on consumers and their behavior.
The evolution of attacks on AI
Data-focused cyber attacks typically seek to steal or encrypt data to demand a ransom for its release. Attacks on AI systems, however, typically have the goal of data poisoning, which seeks to compromise the performance of an AI model by corrupting it with fake or biased data.
Data theft is not as common with AI systems because they typically contain generic data used for training. It’s data scraped from the internet or other public datasets that is used to help AI models develop an understanding of general patterns.
As models are deployed, however, they can begin to gather specific user data to fine-tune their response capabilities. AI used by e-commerce marketplaces to identify users’ spending trends, for example, incorporates sensitive personal information into AI databases to drive a more personalized experience.
The enhanced databases that AI systems build as they are deployed have the potential to be very desirable to cybercriminals. They also have the potential to be more vulnerable than traditional business databases because companies have had less time to understand their attack vectors and develop effective defenses.
The danger of shared vulnerabilities
When a security vulnerability is discovered in a widely shared system, it can quickly lead to a string of breaches. Cybercriminals put extra effort into identifying such shared vulnerabilities because it increases their efficiency, allowing them to strike effectively at multiple targets once a single weakness is discovered.
There is a high potential for shared vulnerabilities involving AI-powered tools because of the way they are currently developed and deployed. Most companies rely on pre-trained AI models that are widely available. A popular model can be adopted and integrated into the operations of companies of varying sizes across a broad range of industries.
The use of open-source components, which is common in AI development, further increases the risk of shared vulnerabilities. If one of those components is compromised, it can become a vulnerability in countless systems.
Shared vulnerabilities can also exist in the third-party infrastructure used to store data collected by AI systems. Companies using cloud storage, for example, become reliant on cloud providers to keep their customers’ personal data secure. A singular weakness in a cloud system could be used to gain access to all of the customer data stored in that system.
The steps needed to address shared vulnerabilities
As the growth of AI continues to enhance business capabilities, it also enhances the cybersecurity threat landscape. To avoid data breaches, companies must understand that embracing AI also requires embracing an elevated security response.
The best strategy for staying secure is focusing on reducing attack vectors. Defending each possible point of entry becomes overwhelming as the potential for shared vulnerabilities increases. Relying on identification or assessment libraries won’t provide the protection needed in a landscape that is rapidly evolving, along with the rapid advancement of AI.
Leveraging a zero-trust approach provides a framework for detecting and preventing emerging threats. By assuming that a breach has already occurred, zero-trust significantly reduces the advantage cybercriminals gain from shared vulnerabilities.
Network segmentation can also prevent shared vulnerabilities from creating widespread damage. Isolating the applications that source AI databases through micro-segmentation keeps their vulnerabilities from opening a door to data breaches.
Shared vulnerabilities amplify the damage cybercriminals are able to inflict, creating a domino effect that can topple a wide range of companies. The widespread use of pre-trained models and third-party providers has introduced the threat of those vulnerabilities into the AI space. While a breach may be inevitable, companies that are proactive in adopting targeted security controls can limit their exposure while still benefiting from the advantages of AI.
– Yashin Manraj, CEO of Pvotal Technologies, has served as a computational chemist in academia, an engineer working on novel challenges at the nanoscale, and a thought leader building more secure systems at the world’s best engineering firms. His deep technical knowledge from product development, design, business insights, and coding provides a unique nexus to identify and solve gaps in the product pipeline. The Pvotal mission is to build sophisticated enterprises with no limits that are built for rapid change, seamless communication, top-notch security, and scalability to infinity. Pivotal’s products and services create Infinite Enterprises that give business leaders total control and peace of mind over their technology systems and their businesses End of article.
About the Author
My Name is Yashin Manraj, CEO of Pvotal Technologies. Manraj has served as a computational chemist in academia, an engineer working on novel challenges at the nanoscale, and a thought leader building more secure systems at the world’s best engineering firms. His deep technical knowledge from product development, design, business insights, and coding provides a unique nexus to identify and solve gaps in the product pipeline. The Pvotal mission is to build sophisticated enterprises with no limits that are built for rapid change, seamless communication, top-notch security, and scalability to infinity. Pivotal’s products and services create Infinite Enterprises that give business leaders total control and peace of mind over their technology systems and their businesses.
Yashin Manraj can be reached online at [email protected] and at our company website https://pvotal.tech/
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