Digital threats are increasing in scale and sophistication—and they come with a hefty price tag. In 2023, the total cost of cybercrime hit $8 trillion. By 2025, that number is expected to reach $10.5 trillion.¹ As threat actors are turning more to AI to assist in their efforts, organizations need to fight fire with fire. AI is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a cybersecurity requirement in the fight against these digital threats. 

More and more businesses are waking up to this reality and acting on it. Over the next year, roughly 65% of businesses plan to use Generative AI for cyber defense. And those who already are say they’ve seen transformative benefits in their cybersecurity program.²

A Stronger Security Foothold 

If your organization isn’t leveraging AI to defend against this new wave of security threats, you’ll lose out to those who are — and with good reason. Without AI, protection against day zero attacks is almost impossible. 

Below are five ways that AI can help you create more robust cybersecurity practices: 

1. Cyber-threat Intelligence: AI-assisted threat intelligence works around the clock, sifting through mountains of data in real time. Unlike its human counterpart, AI never stops or takes a day off. It’s always on alert, detecting threats faster than any human ever could.

2. Threat response: Once a threat is identified, AI systems can immediately suggest actions, such as segmenting networks or isolating unsecure endpoints. With that, security teams can review and act quickly to implement protective measures that stop the spread of infection. 

3. Behavioral patterns: With AI-powered behavioral analytics, IT teams can take a deeper look into user behavior to catch anomalies that look like possible cyber threats—from unusual access patterns and excessive data transfers to suspicious login activity, unrecognizable device usage, and more. 

4. Vulnerability management: AI enhances vulnerability management by proactively scanning networks and applications for security gaps. By prioritizing risks based on impact and severity, this capability allows IT teams to address the most critical vulnerabilities first—which means they can spend less time putting out fires and more time building a robust security posture.

5. Anomaly detection: AI looks at communication patterns and behaviors to track and neutralize possible phishing attempts to safeguard sensitive information.

Data Backup, Recovery, and Compliance

With the ability to manage data lifecycles and access controls, AI systems can also improve the availability and integrity of the data across different storage environments. Using predictive analytics, these systems can anticipate potential data loss events and automatically adjust backup schedules and data replication tasks based on real-time changes in data usage and threat level assessments. AI also simplifies compliance by automating data governance to ensure requirements are met—with little to no human intervention needed. 

AI is permeating nearly every facet of business—and cybersecurity is no exception. As the threat landscape continues to grow, so does your risk exposure. At Melillo, we can help you build a stronger security posture with an advanced, AI-driven approach that ensures real-time security monitoring, advanced threat detection, and incident management. Contact us here. 

1 https://rb.gy/hha429

2 https://tinyurl.com/ph4h54er