{"id":30015,"date":"2020-06-16T06:00:03","date_gmt":"2020-06-16T12:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https://www.webroot.com/blog/?p=30015"},"modified":"2020-06-05T15:17:12","modified_gmt":"2020-06-05T21:17:12","slug":"we-need-the-security-benefits-of-ai-and-machine-learning-now-more-than-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://www.webroot.com/blog/2020\/06\/16\/we-need-the-security-benefits-of-ai-and-machine-learning-now-more-than-ever\/","title":{"rendered":"We Need the Security Benefits of AI and Machine Learning Now More Than Ever"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As these times stress the bottom lines of businesses and\nSMBs alike, many are looking to cut costs wherever possible. The problem for\nbusiness owners and MSPs is that cybercriminals are not reducing their budgets\napace. On the contrary, the rise in COVID-related scams has\nbeen noticeable<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s simply no time to cut corners in terms of\ncybersecurity. But there is hope. Cybersecurity, traditionally suffering from a\nlack of qualified and experienced professionals, can be a source of savings for\nbusinesses. How? Through the automation and efficiency that artificial intelligence\n(AI) and machine learning can offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI & ML in Today\u2019s Cybersecurity Landscape<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By way of background, Webroot has been collecting IT\ndecision makers’ opinions on the utility of AI and machine learning for years\nnow. Results have been…interesting. We’ve seen a steady rise in adoption not\nnecessarily accompanied by an increase in understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, during a 2017 survey of IT decision makers in\nthe United States and Japan, we discovered that approximately 74 percent of\nbusinesses were already using some form of AI or ML to protect their\norganizations from cyber threats. In 2018, 74 percent planned even further\ninvestments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And by 2019, of 800 IT professional cybersecurity\ndecisionmakers across the globe, a whopping 96 percent reported using AI\/ML\ntools in their cybersecurity programs. But, astonishingly, nearly seven out of\nten (68%) of them agreed that, although their tools claim to use AI\/ML, they\naren\u2019t sure what that means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the full report: “Do AI and Machine Learning Make a Difference in Cybersecurity?”<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, are these tools really essential to securing the cyber\nresilience of small businesses? Or are they unnecessary luxuries in an age of\ntightening budgets?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI and ML in the Age of Covid-19<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Do AI and ML have something unique to offer businesses\u2014SMBs\nand MSPs alike\u2014in this age of global pandemic and remote workforces?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We asked the topically relevant question to it to one of the\nmost qualified individuals on the planet to answer it: literal rocket\nscientist, BrightCloud founder, and architect behind the AI\/ML engine known as\nthe Webroot Platform, Hal Lonas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can AI and machine learning tools help people do their\njobs more effectively now that they\u2019re so often remote?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Put directly, the Carbonite and Webroot CTO and senior VP\u2019s\nresponse was bullish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“AI and machine learning tools can absolutely help\npeople do their jobs more effectively now more than ever,” said Lonas.\n“Security professionals are always in short supply, and now possibly\nunavailable or distracted with other pressing concerns. Businesses are facing\nunprecedented demands on their networks and people, so any automation is\nwelcome and beneficial.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In machine\nlearning, a subset of AI<\/a>, algorithms self-learn and improve their findings\nand results without being explicitly programmed to do so. This means a business\ndeploying AI\/ML is improving its threat-fighting capabilities without\nallocating additional resources to the task– something that should excite\ncash-strapped businesses navigating tough economic realities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our AI\/ML report backs up Lonas’s assertion that these\ntechnologies make a welcome addition to most business security stacks. In fact,\n94 percent of respondents in our survey reported believing that AI\/ML tools\nmake them feel more comfortable in their role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“People who use good AI\/ML tools should feel more\ncomfortable in their role and job,” he asserts. “Automation takes\ncare of the easy problems, giving them time to think strategically and look out\nfor problems that only humans can solve. In fact, well-implemented tools allow\nsecurity workers to train them to become smarter\u2014in effect providing the \u2018learning\u2019\npart of machine learning. Each new thing the machine learns makes more\ncapable.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI\/ML adopters also reported: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n