Experts caution Indian organizations to remain vigilant against cyberattacks and artificial intelligence.

As cybercriminals continue to adapt and learn from the cyber security landscape, experts said on Sunday that Indian organizations need to avoid complacency given the rise and complexity of cyber incidents.

New technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) offer new opportunities, but also create new challenges. According to cybersecurity researchers, cybercriminals are constantly adapting and learning about the cybersecurity landscape, and they try to take advantage of these new technologies to avoid being caught or noticed.

“Cyber security artificial intelligence is like a double-edged sword. Although it provides a defensive capability, it can also be exploited by malicious actors. Ransomware attacks show that attackers can also use encryption against us, effectively turning our tools into weapons,” Dr Sanjay Katkar, Joint CEO, Quick Heal Technologies, told IANS.

“However, several detection techniques are only available to cybersecurity professionals and cannot be used by hackers. They help defend critical digital infrastructure and find anomalies,” he added.

In 2023, researchers at malware analysis lab Seqrite Labs analyzed around 400 million malware detections from over 8.5 million endpoint installations in India.

According to a recent report by cloud-based security solutions provider Barracuda Network, the average annual cost of responding to compromises exceeded $5 million.

The report also raised alarm about hackers exploring how they can use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technology to increase the volume, sophistication and effectiveness of their attacks.

In order to combat AI-based attacks, experts suggested that the introduction of AI-based countermeasures tailored to the evolving threat models is essential.

“Implementation of AI development and ethical frameworks for cyber use cases could mitigate the potential damage. Regular software updates, access isolation and continuous user education against evolving social engineering techniques are essential as these attacks are constantly evolving,” Raj Sivaraju, APAC, Arete, told IANS.

“Priorities such as expanded training, security partnerships, automation and flexibility principles such as zero trust are essential to the maturation of defense strategies through 2024,” he added.

Experts also noted that with urgency, collaboration and strategic technology investments, cyber defenders can effectively meet adversary challenges for a more secure digital future.