New Delhi (NVI): Artificial Intelligence (AI), which has advanced in the recent years, gives cyber attackers an advantage as it allows them to strike at a large number of targets simultaneously, according to a top official of Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD), which is responsible for all aspects of cyber defense in the civilian sphere.
Hudi Zack, Chief Executive Director of the Technology Unit at the Cyber Directorate, said AI can help attackers avoid cyber defense systems.
Zack, while addressing a Cybertech Global conference in Tel Aviv in Israel, predicted that AI will be able to affect how people make their decisions.
An example he gave was the deliberate injection of false information into AI-based cyber defense systems. Therefore, he favoured designing of defense systems that are less vulnerable to this kind of attack.
Regarding the structures used to teach AI new information and skills, Zack said developers and implementers would have to make them more robust.
He said most organizations probably won’t be able to develop these areas on their own, and so governments will have to help.
This is a new age in cyber, Zack said, in which governments would have to help out with AI-related infrastructure and all sorts of organizations will have to prepare themselves for AI attacks by designing and building more sturdy defensive cyber structures.
Yigal Unna, Director General of the Israel National Cyber Directorate, revealed that the INCD received about 8,600 reports of cyber threats in the past year but Israel’s critical infrastructure was unharmed by cyber attacks in that time period.
Of the 8,600 reports, more than half (4,415) were reported by civilians and organizations, with the rest coming through automated detection systems, he said.
About two thirds (3,233) of the reports to the INCD’s hotline were verified as genuine attempted cyber attacks. These numbers do not include other avenues through which cyber threats might be reported to the INCD.
Of the reports that were confirmed as cyber threats, 48% were reports of attempted penetration of computer systems, 21% were reports of stolen information, and 15% were phishing scams.
The rest had to do with weaknesses in computer systems (7%); malware (5%); attacks on routine functioning, such as hacking and defacing websites (2%); and bypassing authentication protocols (2%).
Unna addressed the threats the INCD faces, saying that the impact of the attacks is rising, especially with wiper attacks. Due to this, Unna said, the INCD seeks fast action.
He claimed the INCD has managed to fix 60% of Citrix attacks within six days.
According to Unna, the Cybernet system lets the INCD share information with 1,400 consumers in Israel, and the directorate wants to build an international version.
Unna said the INCD is running several different programs to tackle new challenges, including initiatives to protect near-future 5G networks.
He emphasised the importance of cooperation between organizations, saying there is not one agency, or even one country, that can guard against cyber threats on its own.
Yuval Diskin, Chairman of Opora and former head of the Israel Securities Authority (ISA), also known as Shin Bet or Shabak, said many companies look at cyber dangers as an internal threat, and don’t focus enough on what’s outside their organization.
In addition, he said, people tend to forget about the human element: Every cyber attack has people at the other end, and people act in patterns that can be detected in the virtual world, he added.
The former ISA chief said the technological means used for early detection should be paired with an organization’s internal security means, not replace them. If an organization has the right kind of internal and external security, Diskin said, many cyber attacks can be foiled before they even reach their target.
