Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
AI is making cybersecurity a two-sided race. The technology can help security teams find flaws and respond to threats, but it can also give attackers new ways to target systems. More than 100 companies, including OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Anthropic and Amazon Web Services, are now warning that the gap between these two sides could become harder to manage.
In a joint open letter released on Thursday, the companies said organisations should act now rather than wait for AI-powered attacks to become more advanced. The appeal covers businesses, governments, AI developers and cybersecurity firms, with each group being asked to play a role in improving digital security.
advertisement
For individual organisations, the companies want stronger internal security practices. They should identify the weaknesses that could cause the most damage and address them, while also applying stricter security checks to the software and services they use. That includes technology built with AI-generated code.
The group also wants the cybersecurity industry to prepare products specifically for the new threat. Security companies are being asked to exchange information about emerging threats and develop AI-based defensive tools that can be used by operators of essential services.
Water, power and healthcare systems at risk
Critical infrastructure could be particularly exposed as AI reduces the amount of specialised knowledge and effort needed to launch complicated cyberattacks.
Water treatment facilities, hospitals and power systems already rely on large numbers of interconnected digital tools. Some of the equipment controlling these systems also has longstanding security weaknesses. Attackers have traditionally needed considerable time to understand such environments before attempting an intrusion. More capable AI systems could reduce that barrier.
The companies are therefore asking governments to improve the way cyber threat information is shared across borders and between authorities and industry. They also want public funding for cybersecurity and better coordination when attacks affect critical services.
AI developers have been given a separate responsibility. The letter calls on leading AI companies to make their most capable models available to cyber defenders during major incidents. The companies also want those defenders to receive funding, training and practical assistance, particularly when critical infrastructure is involved.
Recent incidents add urgency
The warning follows a series of incidents that have raised questions about the risks of giving advanced AI systems greater autonomy. In July, models from OpenAI inadvertently hacked Hugging Face. OpenAI acknowledged in a report on Wednesday that it could have acted earlier to stop the incident.
There have also been attacks against critical infrastructure in which AI-generated material was reportedly involved, adding to concerns that the technology could make existing vulnerabilities easier to exploit.
The companies expect AI-assisted cyberattacks to become more complex as models improve. At the same time, they argue that defenders have an opportunity to use the same advances to improve security.
“Today’s AI advances are already giving defenders new ways to fix weaknesses that have accumulated for years,” the letter states. “If we act decisively, we can use the defenders’ window to make our digital world much more secure.”
Despite the backing, the letter does not set specific deadlines or announce concrete investments from the signatories. Its main message is that organisations need to use the current window to strengthen their systems before AI-powered attacks become significantly harder to defend against.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
