One of the key things to think about in the process of developing and creating a website is cybersecurity. According to technology giant IBM – which analysed data from 17 different regions – the average cost of a website breach around the world is $4.9 million.
With cybercrime also projected to cost the world a huge $90 trillion by 2030, it is more important than ever to put cybersecurity front and centre, and protect websites with the most efficient privacy policies and cybersecurity tools.
One of these tools, for the future at least, is AI. Over the last few years, AI has had a growing role in both cybersecurity and web design, with the technology being used to not only craft a website, but protect it from hackers. While the tech is relatively new, many companies are racing to apply it to their systems.
There are two reasons for this. On the one hand, data policies need to be more concrete and methodical than ever. Consumers around the world are growing far more aware of the data privacy problem, with many choosing to opt out of data brokers completely, or at least expecting more from businesses to protect their data and make it secure.
On the other hand, cybersecurity is expensive. AI not only has the ability to perfect it, but cut the costs while doing so, making it a crucial tool to protect a company’s bottom line both in the present and the future, should a cybercriminal attempt to hack.
The Common Threats To Websites
Every day, websites around the world are facing threats, including ransomware, phishing, viruses, cross-site scripting, DDoS attacks, and more. Defending against these threats comes with a cost, however, with a recent statistic suggesting that 12% of an IT budget is spent solely on cybersecurity. Even a vulnerability assessment can cost upwards of $10,000, so anything that can shed some of these costs is always going to be attractive to SMEs.
AI – The New Cyber Frontier
There are many ways in which AI is changing our world, and cybersecurity is one of the most significant. With the use of AI, businesses are looking into the possibility of identifying cybercriminals automatically, by monitoring for abnormalities in website access and alerting an IT department about the potential threats as and when they are occurring.
One of the problems in the cybersecurity landscape is that thousands of companies have to fight back against cybercrime retroactively – attempting to remediate the effects after the crime has taken place. With AI, however, valuable time can be saved through detecting breaches immediately, and cyberattacks can be fought and stopped in real time, rather than after the event.
Why AI Doesn’t Come Without Challenges
It’s not all good news, however. Right now, AI is a controversial topic, mostly because it can be used by both sides. While AI might be efficient in upgrading cybersecurity, it can similarly be used by cybercriminals to upgrade their own processes and automatically gain access into various websites. This would lead to a situation where AI is fighting against AI, which could make the problem so complex that it only gets worse.
In the same vein, automating cybersecurity, in itself, could lead to trouble. With growing dependence on AI to solve problems, highly skilled workers could be left to the wayside, meaning we’re relying solely on potentially fallible technology to save our businesses from losing a substantial amount of money. It’s not yet clear what will happen when it comes to AI and its integration into our futures, but for now, it’s important to remain aware and keep applying the best methods to fight the problem.