The Role of AI in Cybersecurity: Advantages, Risks, and Future Trends, with Ian Paterson

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This month we welcome Ian L. Paterson on the Cyber Insider podcast. Ian is an entrepreneur with 10+ years of experience in leading and commercializing technology companies. Paterson has raised millions of dollars in private and public financing, completed international M&A transactions, and is co-inventor of 3 patents on digital identity and data analytics. As CEO of Plurilock, Paterson successfully built and grew Plurilock, leading to its successful public listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange Venture. 
Previously Paterson served as founder and CEO of data monetization platform Exapik (acquired), and as Director of Insights for Terapeak (acquired), a venture-backed analytics firm. Paterson is a regular speaker, media commentator, and active angel investor. 
 
Hosts Brett Callow and Luke Connolly discuss the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity with our expert guest. Ian explains that while AI has its strengths in processing large amounts of data and making determinations based on patterns, it also has its limitations in areas such as content sensitivity, context sensitivity, creativity, and innovation. However, he notes that AI is evolving rapidly and becoming more capable in areas like creativity, as seen with tools like ChatGPT and OpenAI's image creation tools. Ian emphasizes that AI is a valuable tool for processing large amounts of data in cybersecurity, particularly in areas like threat detection and response.  

Regarding the ethical implications of AI in cybersecurity, our guest discusses the importance of data ownership and rights. He highlights the need for organizations to be cautious about the data they feed into AI systems and ensure they are not accidentally leaking or granting permission to sensitive information. He also mentions the use of data loss prevention tools to mitigate these risks.  

"AI is an equal opportunity tool. It's not just going to be used by the good guys, it's going to be used by the bad guys as well." 

In terms of future trends, Ian predicts that there will be multiple AI systems in use, both public and private, within organizations. He believes that each team, individual, and domain will have their own AI system, and organizations will have more control over the models and data used. He also anticipates the emergence of new applications and use cases for AI in cybersecurity that we may not have thought of yet. 
  
All this and much more is discussed in this episode of The Cyber Insider podcast by Emsisoft, the award-winning cybersecurity company delivering top-notch security solutions for over 20 years.   

Be sure to tune in and subscribe to The Cyber Insider to get your monthly inside scoop on cybersecurity. 
 
Hosts:  
Luke Connolly – partner manager at Emsisoft  
Brett Callow – threat analyst at Emsisoft