The advance of Generative AI (GenAI) has the power to revolutionise cybersecurity by analysing vast datasets, discerning patterns, and anomalies, serving as a powerful ally. Its adeptness in processing extensive threat intelligence data empowers organisations with insights, bringing proactive defence strategies and timely vulnerability detection.
GenAI enables pre-emptive measures, including simulations, vulnerability identification, and fortification against intrusions. By creating user behaviour profiles and flagging deviations, GenAI empowers security teams with precision.
At edge/ we delved deeper into the cybersecurity landscape of the Middle East along with Brian Hussey, Vice President, Threat Hunting and DFIR, SentinelOne. He believes in the Middle East, innovative technologies like GenAI and Blockchain will emerge as vanguards for cybersecurity.
Hussey has over 15 years of experience in building leading global breach response teams.
Edited excerpts of the interview:
edge/: What are the key trends you see in the world of cybersecurity in the Middle East in 2024?
Brian Hussey: In 2024, the Middle East cybersecurity landscape is poised for significant advancements across various fronts. We foresee a continued surge in AI-driven solutions and expansion of AI’s application in cybersecurity, where predictive analytics and autonomous response systems will redefine threat mitigation strategies. Additionally, we anticipate a surge in the adoption of decentralized technologies, such as blockchain, for enhanced data security and transparency.
edge/: How are cybersecurity, and newer technologies of threat management growing in the Middle East?
Brian Hussey: The UAE’s cybersecurity landscape can anticipate dynamic developments, with a heightened focus on innovative technologies like Generative AI and blockchain to strengthen defences against evolving threats. Collaboration between public and private sectors will intensify, fostering standardized cybersecurity protocols. The expansion of IoT will demand enhanced endpoint security measures. Predictive analytics and proactive threat intelligence will gain prominence, steering the nation towards a more resilient and cohesive digital ecosystem.
edge/: What market shifts do you predict for the year?
Brian Hussey: This year, beyond its impact on cybersecurity, Generative AI will continue to revolutionize content creation, virtual experiences, and problem-solving. Advanced AI models like GPT-4 and DALL-E 3 will bring even more sophistication to generating text and images, garnering new possibilities for creative content and automation.
We will see more renewable energy solutions, eco-friendly tech products, and green practices taking centre stage. Advances in energy storage, green transportation, and circular economies will contribute to a more sustainable, and environmentally responsible tech landscape.
The Metaverse will become more integrated into everyday life, and this convergence will lead to an increase in immersive experiences, virtual trade, and collaborative workspaces.
We expect quantum computing to make big strides – improved quantum processors will tackle problems that are beyond the capacities of classic computing, heavily impacting fields like cryptography, drug discovery, and optimization.
edge/: How do you see the world of GenAI impact and transform the world of cybersecurity in 2024?
Brian Hussey: Generative AI continues to bring a range of capabilities that can be harnessed to enhance cybersecurity in 2024. From analysing vast datasets to identifying patterns and anomalies that might go unnoticed by traditional cybersecurity tools, GenAI can process threat intelligence data from various sources, providing actionable insights to cybersecurity professionals. This can assist cybersecurity teams in formulating effective and proactive defence strategies and detecting emerging threats and vulnerabilities.
In the event of a cybersecurity breach, GenAI can be leveraged to facilitate rapid and automated responses, assess the extent of the breach, isolate affected systems, and even suggest remediation strategies, enabling quicker containment and mitigation of security incidents.
Additionally, with GenAI, organisations can also simulate realistic cyberattack scenarios, helping them identify vulnerabilities in their systems and networks, and how they can defend them.
GenAI can be used to create highly detailed user behaviour profiles, enabling the identification of unusual or unauthorized activities. It can recognize deviations from typical user behaviour, alerting security teams to potential insider threats. It can be used to scan and filter content to detect malware, fraudulent websites, and malicious code.
It can also improve the accuracy of phishing detection. By analysing email content and user behaviour, it can identify suspicious communication patterns and potential phishing attempts, reducing the risk of individuals falling victim to such attacks.
Moreover, the cybersecurity industry is experiencing a shortage of qualified professionals. GenAI can shrink the skills gap and serve as a force multiplier for security experts, by eliminating the use of intricate query languages, complex operations, and reverse engineering. With generative AI algorithms, analysts can complete tasks that would typically take days, in a matter of seconds.
edge/: What are the core markets for SentinelOne, and how are newer methods and technologies being adopted to combat security challenges?
Brian Hussey: AI is transforming cybersecurity. With AI, enterprises can detect and prevent threats with greater speed and efficiency and secure a broader range of assets in an infinitely scalable way.
edge/: What can we expect soon from SentinelOne?
Brian Hussey: SentinelOne pioneered the use of AI in cybersecurity, and we continue to develop the technology to protect the entire enterprise, as opposed to just endpoints, identities or clouds.
In November, we announced the Singularity Unity Release, a series of enhancements that we will incrementally roll out over the next 12 months to revolutionize Security Operations Centers (SOCs). With the integration of Purple AI, the Singularity Unity release will provide security teams with an optimized user experience that simplifies investigations, strengthens governance, and significantly improves key performance metrics, including Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) and Mean Time to Resolve (MTTR).
We are also investing in and expanding our Cloud Security capabilities. We recently acquired PingSafe, which will allow us to redefine cloud security by combining our workload protection and complete analytical capabilities with PingSafe’s comprehensive CNAPP to create a unified security platform.
And last week we rolled out Threat Hunting for WatchTower, new capabilities specifically designed to support security teams in anticipating and countering threats across the enterprise more quickly and efficiently.
