The Role of AI in Cybersecurity: Advantages, Risks, and Future Trends, with Ian Paterson

12/04/23 • 40 min

This month we welcome Ian L. Paterson on the Cyber Insider podcast. Ian is an entrepreneur with 10+ years of experience in leading and commercializing technology companies. Paterson has raised millions of dollars in private and public financing, completed international M&A transactions, and is co-inventor of 3 patents on digital identity and data analytics. As CEO of Plurilock, Paterson successfully built and grew Plurilock, leading to its successful public listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange Venture.
Previously Paterson served as founder and CEO of data monetization platform Exapik (acquired), and as Director of Insights for Terapeak (acquired), a venture-backed analytics firm. Paterson is a regular speaker, media commentator, and active angel investor.
Hosts Brett Callow and Luke Connolly discuss the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity with our expert guest. Ian explains that while AI has its strengths in processing large amounts of data and making determinations based on patterns, it also has its limitations in areas such as content sensitivity, context sensitivity, creativity, and innovation. However, he notes that AI is evolving rapidly and becoming more capable in areas like creativity, as seen with tools like ChatGPT and OpenAI's image creation tools. Ian emphasizes that AI is a valuable tool for processing large amounts of data in cybersecurity, particularly in areas like threat detection and response.

Regarding the ethical implications of AI in cybersecurity, our guest discusses the importance of data ownership and rights. He highlights the need for organizations to be cautious about the data they feed into AI systems and ensure they are not accidentally leaking or granting permission to sensitive information. He also mentions the use of data loss prevention tools to mitigate these risks.

"AI is an equal opportunity tool. It's not just going to be used by the good guys, it's going to be used by the bad guys as well."

In terms of future trends, Ian predicts that there will be multiple AI systems in use, both public and private, within organizations. He believes that each team, individual, and domain will have their own AI system, and organizations will have more control over the models and data used. He also anticipates the emergence of new applications and use cases for AI in cybersecurity that we may not have thought of yet.
All this and much more is discussed in this episode of The Cyber Insider podcast by Emsisoft, the award-winning cybersecurity company delivering top-notch security solutions for over 20 years.

Be sure to tune in and subscribe to The Cyber Insider to get your monthly inside scoop on cybersecurity.
Hosts:
Luke Connolly – partner manager at Emsisoft
Brett Callow – threat analyst at Emsisoft

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"AI is an equal opportunity tool. It's not just going to be used by the good guys, it's going to be used by the bad guys as well."

Previous Episode

The Power of Security Awareness Training: Key Ingredients for Success, with David Shipley

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This month we welcome David Shipley on the Cyber Insider podcast’s latest episode. David is a recognized global expert in cybersecurity, regularly speaking at public and private events around the world and frequently appears in national and regional media to address cybersecurity stories and topics. David co-founded Beauceron Security in 2016 with an innovative approach to cybersecurity awareness and risk management which empowers everyone within an organization to know more, and care more, about their key role in protecting against cyber-attacks. Beauceron Security now serves more than 700 clients across North America, Europe, and Africa with 650,000+ end-users. He continues to lead the company as CEO. Prior to co-founding Beauceron Security, David was the security lead for the University of New Brunswick and developed its incident response, threat intelligence and awareness practice. He is a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Information and Communications Studies, as well as a Master of Business Administration, from the University of New Brunswick. In 2023, David was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Platinum Medal by the province of New Brunswick for his service in the Canadian Forces, work in cybersecurity, and for co-founding Beauceron Security. David is a former journalist and a Canadian Forces veteran.
Be sure to tune in and subscribe to The Cyber Insider to get your monthly inside scoop on cybersecurity.
Hosts:
Luke Connolly – partner manager at Emsisoft
Brett Callow – threat analyst at Emsisoft
Intro/outro music: “Intro funk” by Lowtone.

Next Episode

The Fight Against Ransomware, with Allan Liska

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This month’s guest of the Cyber Insider is Allan Liska, Senior Security Architect and Ransomware Specialist, Recorded Future. With more than 20 years of experience in ransomware and information security, Allan Liska has improved countless organizations’ security posture using more effective intelligence. Liska provides ransomware-related counsel and key recommendations to major global corporations and government agencies, sitting on national ransomware task forces and speaking at global conferences. Liska has worked as both a security practitioner and an ethical hacker at Symantec, iSIGHT Partners, FireEye, and Recorded Future. Regularly cited in The Washington Post, Bloomberg, The New York Times, and NBC News, he is a leading voice in ransomware and intelligence security. Liska has authored numerous books including “The Practice of Network Security”, “Building an Intelligence-Led Security Program”, “Securing NTP: A Quickstart Guide”, “Ransomware: Defending Against Digital Extortion”. “DNS Security: Defending the Domain Name System” and “Ransomware: Understand.Prevent.Recover.” He is also the creator of the first ransomware-themed comic book, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.

In this thought-provoking discussion, Allan shares his thoughts on the current state of cyber insecurity, the role of the cybersecurity industry, and the challenges posed by ransomware. He also explores potential solutions and strategies to combat this growing threat.
"I think the International Ransomware Task Force has been doing a lot of great work with information sharing. We need to bring more countries into that and improve that information sharing so that we can arrest these people wherever they are."
Allan shares his insights on the rise of ransomware variants and the increase in ransomware extortion sites. This conversation also touches on the effectiveness of law enforcement efforts, the role of cyber insurance companies, and the presence of ransomware actors on social media platforms.

Our guest concludes by suggesting diplomatic and law enforcement actions to disrupt the support structure for ransomware operators and the need for stricter reporting requirements for ransom payments.
"If you pay a ransom, you have to report it before you pay the ransom again. If nothing else, maybe we can get some law enforcement tracing".
All this and much more is discussed in this episode of The Cyber Insider podcast by Emsisoft, the award-winning cybersecurity company delivering top-notch security solutions for over 20 years.

The Cyber Insider - The Role of AI in Cybersecurity: Advantages, Risks, and Future Trends, with Ian Paterson

Transcript

0:00:15

Luke Connolly

Welcome to the Cyber Insider, Emsisoft's podcast all about cybersecurity. Your hosts today are Brett Callow, Threat analyst here at Emsisoft, and I'm Luke Connolly, Partner Manager. We're excited to have Ian Paterson with us today. Ian's an entrepreneur with over ten years of experience in leading and commercializing technology companies. He's raised millions of dollars in private and public financing, completed international M&A transacti