How AI can help to find out computer systems vulnerabilities

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is being explored as a tool to spot vulnerabilities in computer systems. Even with modern advancements in technology, keeping digital information safe is a big worry. As computers and devices are more connected, it becomes harder for those who work to protect these systems.

Knowing the problem is the first step

Cyber attackers often break into systems by finding and using weak spots in the software’s code. This can lead to serious problems, like stealing information, locking files for money, and other harmful actions.

Many known cyber attacks started when hackers found and used these weak spots that were not fixed. For instance, the big company Equifax was attacked in 2017, and LastPass, which manages passwords, was attacked in 2022. In 2023, a new, unknown vulnerability was used to attack the computer systems of the government in Norway. That year, experts found over 26,447 new vulnerabilities around the world, which was 1,500 more than the year before. The number of these vulnerabilities has been going up over the years.

The old ways to detect vulnerabilities are not effective enough today, AI is a breakthrough

The fading effectiveness of old ways to manage security vulnerability is evident. The best strategy to protect against attacks that exploit these vulnerability is to eliminate them. However, this is not as straightforward as it sounds. Today’s cybercriminals are employing artificial intelligence to launch complex attacks that the old security systems cannot handle effectively. But recently using AI powered vulnerability management, security systems are strong enough to detect and control them.

To manage these security vulnerability, the initial step is to find and assess them. The old-fashioned way of doing this requires a lot of manual effort and is not quick. Often, by the time these vulnerability are found, it’s already too late. Moreover, these traditional methods are not always reliable. Systems that operate on set rules might miss detecting a vulnerability, inadvertently allowing cybercriminals to exploit it. It’s estimated that around 20% of network entry points might still be vulnerable even after attempts to fix them.

The old patching process is a headache

The old-fashioned patching process was a real headache. The following stage in the process, which we call ‘patching’, is quite tricky. This holds true even for IT groups that have plenty of people and money. When patching, you have to consider many limits and how different software pieces depend on each other. Often, we don’t even know all the limits. Usually, we can’t finish the job fully because there’s a big rush to get these patches out to the people who need them. It’s normal for these patches to sometimes mess up other important parts of a computer system.

Also, when there are memory issues at the places where computers connect to the network, it makes the security there weaker. Because there are so many vulnerabilities to fix, deciding which ones to fix first becomes really important. Simplifying this, imagine you have a team ready to fix problems in a big machine. But this machine is complex, with many parts relying on each other. Not all issues are clear, and sometimes fixing one part might cause issues in another. This is what IT teams face with patching. They have to be quick, but careful, always thinking about what to fix first to keep everything running smoothly. Here it come to new ara of AI to manage this vulnerabilities by its power. Recently, security teams have begun to employ artificial intelligence as a powerful ally in their ongoing battle against cyber threats.

How can AI better manage these vulnerabilities?

These advanced tools utilize machine learning and Data Science, a type of AI that examines code, network activity, and system records to spot trends and patterns. While human experts might overlook minor irregularities, these smart algorithms are designed to detect any sign of danger, doing so with remarkable speed.

AI assistants for vulnerability management offer a higher level of understanding and more accurate forecasts than older security tools. They don’t just fix known issues; they use data analysis to predict and stop problems before they happen. By studying past data aided by Data Science, trends, and actions, they reveal possible security risks. This valuable knowledge allows security professionals to take action early to prevent harm.

AI-driven tools to manage vulnerabilities

One of the key benefits of AI-driven tools for checking system vulnerability is their ability to grow smarter over time. These smart tools get better with each use, learning to recognize new dangers. They use machine learning, a type of smart computer program, to spot patterns that hackers might use and remember them for the future.

These AI systems are also great at doing boring jobs over and over, like looking through records or doing the same security checks many times. This means that the people who check for system vulnerability don’t have to do these dull tasks because of AI. Instead, they can do more important work, like looking for hidden threats and finding ways to protect against them.

AI powered approach and its challenge

However, these AI systems to control system vulnerabilities aren’t perfect yet. Sometimes they make mistakes, thinking there’s a problem when there isn’t one. So, it’s still important to have people check for vulnerability the old-fashioned way also. But even with these mistakes, AI is a big improvement over doing everything by hand. As AI gets better, it will make fewer mistakes.

Doing all the drudgeries on autopilot

Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a crucial role in managing software update patches, especially in finding and fixing vulnerabilities in computer programs. Imagine a detective searching for clues; that’s what AI does when it looks for parts in the code that could let hackers in. Once it finds these vulnerabilities, it’s like a handyman, patching up holes to keep everything safe.

AI helps computer security teams by sorting out which updates are most important, checking if the updates work, and then putting them in place. It’s like having a smart assistant that not only tells you what needs to be fixed but also helps you do it quickly as new threats come up. Right now, these smart tools need a little help from humans to get started, but soon, they might be able to figure things out on their own.

AI can put priorities in its place

The real standout feature of AI is how it decides what to fix first. In the past, deciding which updates to do first was tough, like trying to figure out which leak to fix first in a boat with many holes. Doing updates without a plan could mean big problems get missed. But AI looks at how bad the vulnerabilities are, how much damage they could do, and how easy they are for hackers to use. Then, it puts the updates in order, dealing with the most dangerous ones first. This way, the biggest risks get taken care of right away, making everything a lot safer. AI is changing the game by making sure the most critical updates are done first, keeping computers and information secure.

Self-running patch management in action

Patch management enhanced by artificial intelligence includes the smart feature of rollbacks to manage vulnerabilities. because sometimes, updates can lead to unforeseen problems or clashes in the system, necessitating a swift reversal. Recently, there’s been remarkable progress in the field of AI-driven security for detecting system vulnerability.

The Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), which is based on machine learning, assists security teams in handling a growing list of security vulnerabilities. This system takes a method that focuses on fixing the most dangerous and urgent threats first. The American organization DARPA has initiated a project called Intelligent Generation of Tools for Security (INGOTS). This initiative uses AI to identify and repair critical security gaps in internet browsers and smartphone operating systems. Currently, INGOTS is being tested.

Zero-day mitigation is step ahead

In the world of digital security, an intense competition is unfolding. It’s like a race, but not with runners or cars. This race is between those who protect our computer systems and those who try to break into them by using the vulnerabilities. Both groups use artificial intelligence, or AI for short. AI is a kind of smart computer program that can learn and make decisions. The good guys, known as cyber security experts, use AI to find vulnerabilities in computer systems. They fix these spots so no one can get in. The bad guys, called cybercriminals, use AI too. But they use it to find vulnerabilities that no one knows about yet. These are called zero-day vulnerabilities because they are so new. So the first guy who uses AI in the job is winning and the other one is a loser.

8:45 PM 6/26/2024