ChatGPT is a hot topic artificial intelligence (AI) app. If you’re one of the few people you haven’t met yet, she’s basically a very sophisticated generative AI chatbot powered by her GPT-3 Large Language Model (LLM) from OpenAI. That is, a computer program that can understand and “speak” to us in a way that is very close to what real human conversation would be like. Extremely smart and knowledgeable humans, they know about 175 billion pieces of information and can recall them almost instantly.

ChatGPT’s sheer power and capabilities have captured the public’s imagination as to what is possible with AI. There is already a lot of speculation about how it will affect a huge number of human roles, from customer service to customer service. computer programmingHowever, here I would like to take a quick look at what that means for the cybersecurity arena. Could it be that we are already seeing a rapid rise in cyberattacks targeting businesses and individuals, or will we put more power in the hands of those doing the work of countering these attacks?

How will GPT and its successors be used in cyberattacks?

The truth is that ChatGPT, and more importantly, future iterations of the technology will have applications in both cyberattacks and cyberdefense. ) can easily mimic human written or spoken language and can also be used to create computer code.

First, one important caveat should be mentioned. The creator of GPT-3 and ChatGPT, his OpenAI theoretically has fairly strict safeguards built in to prevent it from being used for malicious purposes. This is done by filtering the content for phrases that suggest that someone is trying to use the content for such purposes.

For example, a request to create a ransomware application (software that encrypts the target’s data and demands money to regain access) is politely denied.

“Sorry, but I can’t write code for ransomware applications. My purpose is to provide information and help users, not to promote harmful activities,” I asked as an experiment. It taught me.

but, some researchers says they’ve already found workarounds for these limitations. Further, there is no guarantee that future iterations of LLM/NLG/NLP technology will include such safeguards.

The possibilities at the malicious party’s disposal include:

Craft fraudulent and phishing emails that sound more official or appropriate. For example, prompting users to share sensitive personal data such as passwords or bank account information. It can also automate the creation of many such emails, all personalized to target different groups and individuals.

Automated communication with fraud victims – When cyber thieves are using ransomware to extort money from victims, sophisticated chatbots are used to communicate with victims and process ransom payments. You can expand your ability to talk about

Malware Creation – ChatGPT demonstrates that NLG/NLP algorithms can be used to craft computer code, which can be abused to spy on user activity, steal data, and infect systems. It may allow you to create your own customized malware designed. Use ransomware or create other malicious software.

Incorporating language capabilities into the malware itself – This has the potential to create entirely new types of malware. For example, it can read and understand the entire contents of a targeted computer system or email account to determine what is valuable and what is of value. should be stolen. The malware may even be able to “listen” to the victim’s attempts to counter it (e.g., conversations with her helpline staff) and adapt its own defenses accordingly.

How can ChatGPT and its successors be used for cyber defense?

In general, AI can have both offensive and defensive applications, and fortunately, natural language-based AI is no exception.

Identify phishing scams – By analyzing the content of emails and text messages, we can predict whether they are attempts to trick users into providing personal or exploitable information.

Coding anti-malware software – to help create software used to detect and eradicate viruses and other malware, as computer code can be written in many popular languages ​​such as Python, Javascript, and C may be used for

Find vulnerabilities in existing code – Hackers often take advantage of poorly written code to find exploits. For example, he could create a buffer overflow that could cause the system to crash and leak data. NLP/NLG algorithms can discover these exploitable flaws and generate alerts.

Authentication – This type of AI could potentially be used to authenticate users by analyzing how they speak, write, and type.

Automated Reports and Summaries – You can use this to automatically generate plain-language summaries of the attacks and threats that have been detected or countered, or the attacks and threats that your organization is most likely to fall victim to. can. These reports can be customized for different audiences, such as IT departments and executives, and can apply specific recommendations to different people.

I work in cybersecurity – is this a threat to my job?

There is now a heated debate about whether AI could lead to widespread job loss and human redundancy. In my opinion, some jobs will disappear, but more will likely be created to replace them. More importantly, most of the jobs lost are likely to be jobs that mostly require routine and repetitive tasks, such as installing and updating email filters and anti-malware software.

On the other hand, those that remain or are newly created will be those that require more creative, imaginative and human skill sets. but also developing and building a culture of cybersecurity awareness within the organization, and educating employees on threats that AI may not be able to stop (such as the dangers of writing login details in posts). It also includes coaching staff. – it points out) and developing a strategic approach to cybersecurity.

Thanks to AI, it is clear that we are entering a world where machines will replace some of the “thinking” tasks that must be done on a daily basis. Just as previous technological innovations replaced routine manual labor with machines, skilled manual labor such as carpentry and plumbing is still performed by humans. In my opinion, the AI ​​revolution could have a similar impact. This means that information and knowledge workers in areas that are likely to be affected (such as cybersecurity) will develop the ability to use AI to enhance their skills, while at the same time creating “soft” jobs that are unlikely to be replaced anytime soon. This means that the human skill set needs to be further developed.