From Hype to Reality: Upskilling Cyber Professionals in the Age of AI

Artificial intelligence has skyrocketed to the top of the news and boardroom agenda in recent months. Fears of widespread job displacement and even humanity’s impending doom have dominated the narrative as the AI hype reaches fever levels. Amidst this chaos, the genuine cyber risks posed by AI demand business leaders’ attention. AI is fast becoming the linchpin of a cybercriminal’s toolkit, and this could have severe consequences on businesses, individuals, and society alike. It’s critical businesses invest the time now in understanding evolving AI threats and equip teams with the necessary skills to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.

A new threat for cyber professionals

Cybercriminals already leverage AI to create convincing fake text for phishing attacks, but the implications go beyond that. Generative deepfakes have been employed to fabricate videos of prominent figures. This is just the start when it comes to the threat of deepfakes.

Similarly, in the business landscape, generative AI tools are introducing a perfect storm of threats from data manipulation, model poisoning, confidential leakage, and adversarial attacks on AI systems.

Having said that, it’s not all doom and gloom. In a step forward to protect the industry, MITRE has created the ATLAS Machine Learning Threat Matrix, mapping tactics used in attacks against AI. This is helping organizations better understand the types of cyber-attacks being used against machine learning systems.

It’s also important to remember that the cybersecurity industry is no stranger to new challenges. Every day cybersecurity professionals are tasked with staying ahead of malicious actors. However, in the face of AI-driven dangers, the right training becomes essential.

Modernizing cyber upskilling in the AI era

To effectively address the cybersecurity challenges AI poses, businesses should take a two-pronged approach.

Firstly, it is crucial to promote cyber awareness across your entire organization, ensuring that all employees have a basic understanding of how to identify phishing attacks, ransomware, and other prevalent threats amplified by AI. By building a foundation of knowledge around the rise of AI attacks, you’ll create a more vigilant workforce capable of recognizing and mitigating potential risks.

Secondly, at the advanced level, businesses should prioritize providing up-to-date cyber training and upskilling opportunities that specifically addresses the latest AI threats. To ensure effectiveness, training must be engaging, enjoyable, and aligned with real-world attack scenarios.

Traditional theory-based training and upskilling fall short, especially when AI is developing so rapidly. Instead, businesses can adopt modern methods like gamified training, which provide an immersive experience that evolves alongside current AI trends.

Luckily, businesses aren’t alone in this fight, online upskilling platforms are available to help businesses and individuals develop the offensive and defensive AI techniques they need.

Why AI skills will pay off for cyber careers

Developing the latest AI skills is also good news for cyber professionals. With over 700,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the US alone, candidates with expertise in AI cyber skills will hold all the cards in a market full of opportunities.

It’s also crucial to bear in mind that AI will be a cybersecurity professional’s co-pilot, not their replacement. AI’s true value lies in threat detection and analysis, where algorithms can identify patterns and anomalies in real time. By automating routine tasks like data collection and vulnerability assessments, AI also liberates professionals to focus on strategic decision-making and proactive defense. However, in the realm of hacking, where creativity plays a vital role, human expertise remains indispensable.

For now, AI can be a powerful ally as well as a potential adversary, but the prospect of it replacing professionals in their jobs is a distant one. In the age of AI training, knowledge is power. The individuals and businesses who stay ahead by learning the latest threats and prioritize training and upskilling will secure their position at the forefront.