As AI innovation drives value creation in many areas, one of the fields where tech innovation is poised to have the biggest impact is digital security.
Like it or not, bad actors use technology advances to develop increasingly effective attacks on individuals and organisations. Because of this, many of the most important innovative efforts are going to be focused on mitigating digital risk for all – not just businesses, but everyday users of technology.
1. Using AI For proactive defence
Innovation in AI is undoubtedly the biggest driver of the next era of digital security. AI’s ability to analyse large amounts of data and automate routine tasks is going to play a key role in improving security overall and unlocking more potential for innovation among digital security professionals.
AI’s ability to analyse data allows it to identify patterns in user behaviour, which makes it easier to detect and respond to anomalies. Machine learning tools can use existing data to predict vulnerabilities, allowing human cybersecurity leads to implement proactive measures that reduce risk. Because AI can also automate tasks like system patching and quarantining threats, it lets human engineers focus on more advanced security issues so they can deliver a more efficient response.
At the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), AI is enabling a wide range of more advanced digital security tasks, including automated detection of personally identifiable information, reverse engineering of malware, and network anomaly detection. CISA is also using AI to draft summaries of media materials and to power a chat agent to support its users.
With CISA and other organisations engaged in ongoing research to advance their use of AI in cybersecurity, it’s clear that many of the biggest advances in the field will rely heavily on engineers who understand prompt engineering and have the ability to develop their own custom agents.
2. Advancing zero-trust architectures
The rise of zero-trust architecture will guide the direction of digital security innovations in the coming years. Zero-trust architecture operates under a distinct “never trust, always verify” principle, so no user or device is ever trusted by default. This security architecture assumes a breach, whether internal or external, already exists.
Under zero-trust systems, both users and devices require continuous verification and authentication, and are always granted the minimum level of access possible.
Zero-trust architecture is becoming increasingly common among businesses that use remote and hybrid workers. When a remote worker tries to access a business resource from home, zero-trust would not only require a form of multi-factor authentication, but would also check the user’s location, the security posture of their device, and other factors before granting access to data. Even after a user is granted access, continuous monitoring through behavioural analytics operates to reduce risk.
While the zero-trust mindset has been connected largely with business activities, expect the approach to become more widespread in other areas. For example, a hardware crypto wallet implements a type of zero-trust architecture by keeping private keys in the wallet and signing transactions locally, only connecting to the internet when absolutely necessary to reduce the risk of unauthorised wallet access.
3. Emphasis on security accessibility
We can expect many innovators in digital security to place emphasis on accessibility to cybersecurity resources for all. As a report by the World Economic Forum predicts, “Cybersecurity will be less about ‘defending fortresses’ than moving toward acceptance of ongoing cyber-risk, with a focus on bolstering resilience and capacity for recovery. As markers of this trend, passwords could be nearly obsolete by 2030, cybersecurity will be widely taught in primary schools, and cryptocurrencies will be more effectively regulated.”
That same report cites concern, however, that this type of progress is unlikely to be distributed evenly, which will likely become a key focus point for many innovators who want to create a more equitable online experience. Targeted training and digital literacy programmes, especially when delivered through non-profit partnerships, are likely to play an important role in this sphere.
The concept of security accessibility doesn’t just apply to education and expanding access to general digital security measures. In many instances, it also requires a focus on making basic digital security more accessible to all individuals, including those with different abilities.
As the Bureau of Internet Accessibility reports, moving away from common issues like CAPTCHAs, which often can’t be read by screen readers, is just one example of how offering multiple authentication options can better accommodate all users.
With the “digital divide” becoming an increased area of focus for many policymakers and other organisations, digital security efforts focused on lessening that divide may become further incentivised.
Building the next era of digital security
With the average American spending over seven hours per day online and with businesses relying on more digital tools, the need for advanced security has never been more pressing. As innovators focus their efforts on digital security for businesses and individuals, they can reduce the risk of costly security breaches and give users greater confidence as they use AI, cryptocurrency wallets, and other digital resources.
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