In a time when artificial intelligence is increasingly used in cyber attacks, a research team at the University of Missouri asked, “What would happen if we recruited AI to the other side?” They found that large language models could be used to study and address basic cybersecurity issues.
“These AI tools can be a good starting point to investigate issues before consulting an expert,” Prasad Calyam, the director of the university’s Cyber Education, Research and Infrastructure Center, said in a news release about the study this week. “They can also be good training tools for those working with information technology or who want to learn the basics on identifying and explaining emerging threats.”
In collaboration with Amrita University in India, Calyam used the idea of ethical hacking to test the theory out. Ethical hacking uses the same techniques as malicious hacking to find flaws in cybersecurity systems and fix them. The Certified Ethical Hacker exam, a globally recognized credential based on a multiple-choice test administered by the cybersecurity company EC-Council, is one way for professionals to learn these techniques and advance in the workforce.