Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News

      Blue Label Telecoms to change its name as restructuring gathers pace

      11 July 2025

      EFF vows to stop Starlink from launching in South Africa

      11 July 2025

      Get your ID delivered like pizza – home affairs’ latest digital shake-up

      11 July 2025

      Apple plans product blitz to reignite growth

      11 July 2025

      Nissan doubles down on South Africa despite plant uncertainty

      11 July 2025
    • World

      Grok 4 arrives with bold claims and fresh controversy

      10 July 2025

      Bitcoin pushes higher into record territory

      10 July 2025

      Cupertino vs Brussels: Apple challenges Big Tech crackdown

      7 July 2025

      Grammarly acquires e-mail start-up Superhuman

      1 July 2025

      Apple considers ditching its own AI in Siri overhaul

      1 July 2025
    • In-depth

      Siemens is battling Big Tech for AI supremacy in factories

      24 June 2025

      The algorithm will sing now: why musicians should be worried about AI

      20 June 2025

      Meta bets $72-billion on AI – and investors love it

      17 June 2025

      MultiChoice may unbundle SuperSport from DStv

      12 June 2025

      Grok promised bias-free chat. Then came the edits

      2 June 2025
    • TCS

      TCS+ | MVNX on the opportunities in South Africa’s booming MVNO market

      11 July 2025

      TCS | Connecting Saffas – Renier Lombard on The Lekker Network

      7 July 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E4: Takealot’s big Post Office jobs plan

      4 July 2025

      TCS | Tech, townships and tenacity: Spar’s plan to win with Spar2U

      3 July 2025

      TCS+ | First Distribution on the latest and greatest cloud technologies

      27 June 2025
    • Opinion

      In defence of equity alternatives for BEE

      30 June 2025

      E-commerce in ICT distribution: enabler or disruptor?

      30 June 2025

      South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

      17 June 2025

      AI and the future of ICT distribution

      16 June 2025

      Singapore soared – why can’t we? Lessons South Africa refuses to learn

      13 June 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CambriLearn
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SevenC
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Telit Cinterion
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Wipro
      • Workday
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Science
      • SMEs and start-ups
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » Information security » How generative AI is changing the cybersecurity landscape

    How generative AI is changing the cybersecurity landscape

    Promoted | The security space is undergoing big changes thanks to generative AI, says CYBER1 Solutions' Hilbert Long.
    By CYBER1 Solutions18 October 2023
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp

    The cybersecurity landscape is undergoing a transformation thanks to artificial intelligence, with both the industry and its adversaries jumping on the bandwagon to enhance the tools of their trades.

    This is according to CYBER1 Solutions GM for sales Europe Hilbert Long. “Concurrently, the democratisation of AI is now in full swing, thanks to the emergence of cutting-edge generative AI tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Dall-E. These tools empower everyday users with the capabilities of artificial intelligence.”

    In just the initial five days after its November 2022 launch, ChatGPT’s platform saw over a million users eager to put its AI prowess to the test, he said. People are excited to explore the potential of these generative AI tools across various domains, including coding, essay writing, artistic creation, blueprint design, package artwork, virtual world and avatar creation in the metaverse – and even troubleshooting production errors.

    Malicious actors seize every opportunity to exploit the potential of AI for malicious purposes

    They are also engaged in an iterative process of refining their prompts and instructions to extract increasingly superior outcomes.

    “However, while the positive applications of generative AI are incredibly promising, there is also the sobering reality of potential misuse and harm,” he said. “As users delved into this innovative tool, some discovered its capacity to generate malicious software, craft phishing e-mails and propagate propaganda. These same tools could also produce false information and push viewpoints that are linked to misinformation campaigns.”

    Generative AI – no planning or management

    With the growing popularity and widespread adoption of generative AI, the question of who bears responsibility for addressing these associated risks is becoming a widespread concern, Long said  In fact, over 1,100 signatories, including prominent figures like billionaire Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Tristan Harris from the Centre for Humane Technology, recently posted an open letter that calls for an immediate pause, lasting at least six months, on the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4 by all AI labs.

    The letter argues that there is a notable absence of the necessary planning and management. It suggests that instead of proper planning and management, “AI labs” have become embroiled in a reckless race to develop and deploy increasingly powerful digital intelligences that no one, not even their creators, can fully comprehend, predict or reliably control.

    Addressing the associated risks, the letter advocates for the development of powerful AI systems only when there is confidence in their positive impact and manageable risks.

    Nevertheless, while regulation is considered a crucial step, there’s no guarantee that rapid and bold regulatory actions will effectively safeguard AI. Comparable situations, such as the drug trade or cryptocurrencies, demonstrate that legislation alone may not be sufficient to halt illicit activities.

    “Furthermore, while many within the industry are working on regulations, malicious actors remain unconcerned about or unbound by these regulations,” Long said.

    “They seize every opportunity to exploit the potential of AI for malicious purposes. This underscores the fact that AI is not only altering the landscape of the cyber arms race but also elevating it to a nuclear level of risk and competition.”

    AI-enhanced malware

    To begin with, malefactors armed with AI now have the ability to automate their malicious tools and activities, including identity theft, phishing, data exfiltration, fraud, and more, at a pace and precision beyond human capabilities.

    “AI-enabled attacks happen when bad actors leverage AI as a tool to aid in the development of malware or to execute cyberattacks. These types of attacks have become increasingly popular and include activities such as the creation of malware, data poisoning and reverse engineering,” he said.

    In addition, advanced conversational chatbots like ChatGPT, powered by Large Language Models (LLMs) for Natural Language Understanding (NLU), are significantly amplifying the potential for automating and enhancing the effectiveness of AI-facilitated malware attacks.

    The imitation game

    As an illustration, Long says an attacker may employ a chatbot to compose more convincing phishing messages that do not display the typical indicators of deception, such as grammar, syntax or spelling errors that are easily detected.

    “In the context of ChatGPT specifically, its ability to generate code underscores the growing menace posed by AI-driven malware. In April this year, a security researcher at Forcepoint unveiled a zero-day virus with untraceable data extraction, solely relying on ChatGPT prompts.”

    He stresses that although ChatGPT has demonstrated the capability to generate functions, it currently lacks robust mechanisms for error checking and prevention in production-style environments. “Right now, ChatGPT lacks the adversarial reasoning required by malware developers, such as considering countermeasures adversaries might employ to thwart their actions while advancing their own objectives. However, this could change overnight.”

    CYBER1 Solutions' Hilbert Long
    CYBER1 Solutions’ Hilbert Long

    This is why Long says companies must remain vigilant regarding the threats stemming from AI-driven hacking tools and implement the necessary measures to fortify their networks against these threats.

    Another major concern is the rapid advancement of deepfake technology, which is getting better and better at mimicking reality. Almost anyone can now produce counterfeit images, videos, audio and text that appear deceptively genuine.

    Updating protocols

    “Given the formidable capabilities of these AI-fuelled tools, it is crucial for entities across all sectors to arm themselves against these dangers,” Long said. “This highlights the urgent need for businesses to update their security protocols to stay one step ahead of evolving threats.”

    To do this, he said  organisations must be made aware of the perils posed by AI hacking tools and take measures to safeguard their networks against these emerging threats. One way to do this is by leveraging AI tools to augment their security strategies.

    “This means choosing a cybersecurity partner that possesses the necessary expertise to strike a balance between these intelligent tools, streamline processes, and with the invaluable human experience and knowledge that have proved key to mitigating security incidents and expediting the identification and handling of threats,” Long concluded.

    CYBER1 Solutions is a cybersecurity specialist operating in Emea

    Our solutions deliver information security; IT risk management; fraud detection; governance and compliance; as well as a full range of managed services. We also provide bespoke security services across the spectrum, with a portfolio that ranges from the formulation of our customers’ security strategies to the daily operation of end-point security solutions. To do this, we partner with world-leading security vendors to deliver cutting-edge technologies augmented by our wide range of professional services.

    Our services enable organisations in every sector to prevent attacks by providing the visibility into vulnerabilities they need to rapidly detect compromises, respond to breaches, and stop attacks before they become an issue.

    • Connect with Hilbert Long on LinkedIn
    • Read more articles by CYBER1 Solutions on TechCentral
    • This promoted content was paid for by the party concerned


    CYBER1 CYBER1 Solutions Hilbert Long
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleInvesting in commodities: exploring opportunities beyond stocks
    Next Article Get speedy, reliable connectivity for SMEs with HPE Aruba

    Related Posts

    SAPS cannot fight cybercrime on its own

    12 March 2025

    TCS+ | CYBER1 Solutions on choosing a managed security service provider

    15 October 2024

    SA security experts name identity as first line of defence against online threats

    13 August 2024
    Company News

    $125-trillion traded: Binance redefines global finance in just eight years

    11 July 2025

    LTE Cat 1 vs Cat 1 bis – what’s the difference?

    11 July 2025

    NEC XON welcomes HPE acquisition of Juniper Networks

    11 July 2025
    Opinion

    In defence of equity alternatives for BEE

    30 June 2025

    E-commerce in ICT distribution: enabler or disruptor?

    30 June 2025

    South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

    17 June 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.