Smart Software and Cyber Security
December 30, 2020
Smart software appears to be the solution to escalating cyber security woes. An unusual article (actually more of a collection of dot points) provides some insight into the challenges makers of smart security software have to overcome. Navigate to “What is the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Cyber Security?” and scroll to the section titled “Why Did Artificial Intelligence Fail?” Here are three of the 10 reasons:
- When you stuck in a never-ending development loop
- Most AI models decay overtime
- Optimizing for the wrong thing.
Before I read the article, I had been operating on a simple principle: Smart cyber security software is an oxymoron. Yikes. I did not know I was stuck in a never ending development loop or optimizing for the wrong thing.
The article offers a number of statements which, I assume, are intended to be factoids. In reality, the collection of information is a gathering of jargon and sales babble.
The write up reveals how to get rid of security smart software failures. There are seven items on this list. Here’s one: Statistical Methodology.
Several observations:
- Smart software works when knowns are trimmed to a manageable “space”.
- The “space” is unfortunately dynamic, so the AI has to be able to change. It usually needs the help of humans and an often expensive retraining cycle.
- The known space is what the best of the bad actors use in order to attack in new ways.
Net net: The SolarWinds’ misstep illustrates that exactly zero of the classified systems used to monitor adversaries’ cyber attacks rang the klaxon. To make matters more embarrassing, exactly zero of the commercial threat intelligence and cyber monitoring systems punched a buzzer either.
Conclusion: Lists and marketing hoo had are not delivering. The answer to the question What is the impact of artificial intelligence on security? is an opportunity to over promise and under deliver perhaps?
Stephen E Arnold, December 30, 2020
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