NATO - AI Cyber Attacks Are A Critical Threat

Uploaded on 2023-01-17 in TECHNOLOGY-Key Areas-Artificial Intelligence, GOVERNMENT-Defence, FREE TO VIEW

Cyber attacks, both on national infrastructures and private companies, have ramped up exponentially and become a focal point since the start of the war in Ukraine and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing a massive role in cyber attacks and is proving both a “double-edged sword” and a “huge challenge,” according to NATO.

“Artificial intelligence allows defenders to scan networks more automatically and fend off attacks rather than doing it manually. But the other way around, of course, it's the same game,” David van Weel, NATO’s Assistant Secretary-General for Emerging Security Challenges, speaking at a recent meeting in Estonia.

This is a pressing issue, since it is NATO's policy that a cyber attack on any of its member states could trigger Article 5, meaning an attack on one member is considered an attack on all of them and could trigger a collective response.

AI can be used to try and break into networks by using credentials and algorithms to crack systems and AI-based tools can be used to better detect and protect against threats. Conversely, cyber criminals can use the technology for more sporadic attacks that are harder to defend against because there are so many of them simultaneously.

Just how to defend against AI -driven cyber attacks were being tested in Estonia’s capital Tallinn at the CR14 NATO Cyber Range.

Last month, army commanders from over 30 countries (not all of them NATO members) descended on the cyber range to put their skills to the test on how they would defend their country while working with their allies.

Almost 150 personnel were on-site for the event, double the amount who made the journey in 2021 U.S. Cyber Command and U.S. European Command had over 50 people participating and the U.S. led air command and control in the exercise. Romania led on developing the storyline, the United Kingdom took control on the ground, and Poland was in charge of special operations forces.

The results were a closely guarded secret by NATO officials due to security and intelligence concerns, but it is understood that that no one failed the exercise.

Euronews: e-Estonia: AOL: Politico: Flipboard: Argonne:

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