NATO is working on an AI-based defense strategy to detect cyber threats upstream and take the necessary measures to protect itself. The test focuses on critical services and infrastructures.
NATO cybersecurity: member countries face growing threats
According to NATO, the critical services and infrastructures of member countries are facing the increase in cyber threats. In particular, the defense industry has observed a increase in cyber-risks with the Russian-Ukrainian conflict..
Research conducted by Microsoft reveals an increase in risks to critical infrastructures. Researchers attribute rise to massive use of IoT devicesthe vulnerability of these gadgets and their connection to the cloud.
With IoT devices, the ubiquity of operational technologies (OT) also contributes to increasing the attack surface. of critical infrastructures. As a reminder, OT refers to all IT and communication systems designed to manage, monitor and control industrial operations.
In a report entitled Cyber Signals, Microsoft researchers explain, “While the prevalence of IoT and OT vulnerabilities presents a challenge for all organizations, critical infrastructures are at increased risk. Disabling critical services, without even necessarily destroying them, is a powerful lever”.
Cybersecurity: testing AI to secure NATO’s critical infrastructure
Artificial intelligence (AI), which bridges the gap between humans and technology, can perform complex tasks without human intervention. AI has the ability to become increasingly intelligent over time. The technology is capable of producing solutions to previously intractable or difficult problems.
NATO tests AI as a defense strategy against cyber threats. The technology can help the security team identify patterns of cyber attacks on critical infrastructures. AI could thus detect malware and other threats at an early stage.
This will enable make the best decision on threat suppression. NATO is convinced that this technology can make a significant contribution to cybersecurity teams. The organization has in fact conducted an experiment to measure the effectiveness of AI in responding to cyber threats.
The experiment was conducted by six teams of cyber defenders from NATO allies. The results demonstrate the game-changing potential of emerging technologies in risk management for complex, interdependent systems. The experiment alsoidentify the need for tools that will improve collaboration between humans and machines to reduce cyber-risk.