According to a report by AI Business, “the global AI industry is expected to grow in value from $88 billion in 2022 to $411 billion by 2027.” As the technologies emerging from this trend, such as large language models (LLMs) and generative AI, bring some benefit, they also introduce cybersecurity risk which complicate the detection and remediation of various attacks.
The 2024 Olympics and Cybersecurity
The 2024 Olympics occurring now in Paris are a prime example of where generative AI and cybersecurity could meet. As CSO cites, European security services at IDC referred to them as “the most connected Olympic games ever” facing “the most complex threat landscape” and “the highest degree of ease for threat actors to execute attacks.” Experts have predicted that cybercriminals may run emails and websites based on the Olympics that actually serve as bait for phishing and ransomware attacks. Plus, the games provide a large platform for state-sponsored cyber espionage, with a particularly watchful eye on Russia.
Russia obviously has its fair share of connections to malicious cyber activity. In fact, two members of the Cyber Army of Russia Reborn (CARR) were just added to the US sanctions list for their roles in carrying out attacks on critical infrastructure facilities in the US. In January, CARR announced that the group was responsible for “attacks on human-machine interfaces (HMIs) controlling OT systems in the US and Poland,” as explained by The Register. On top of that, CARR is associated with an attack on the SCADA system of a US energy company.
What this Means for OT Operators
What CARR’s actions reflect is a growing interest in targeting systems more closely attached to operational technology (OT), which is a topic that we have covered heavily. ABI Research projects that enterprise spending on OT cybersecurity will reach $21.6 billion globally by 2028. Cybersecurity Dive points out that much of the spending will focus on network security and segmentation. That spending will also need to focus on the growing presence of AI and generative AI in cybersecurity eventually if not right now. Considering the growth of the market and examples of events where we could experience the impact of these two areas merging, OT protection, like IT protection, will rely on getting ahead of this trend.
Sources:
- “Companies Face New AI Risks, Cybersecurity Issues” – Michael Gray, AI Business
https://aibusiness.com/cybersecurity/companies-face-new-ai-risks-cybersecurity-issues - “2024 Olympics put cybersecurity teams on high alert” – Christine Wong, CSO https://www.csoonline.com/article/3477719/2024-olympics-put-cybersecurity-teams-on-high-alert.html
- “Two Russians sanctioned over cyberattacks on US critical infrastructure” – Connor Jones, The Register https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/22/russians_sanctioned_over_cyberattacks/
- “Industrial cyberattacks fuel surge in OT cybersecurity spending” – Matt Kapko, Cybersecurity Dive
https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/industrial-ot-cybersecurity-spending-growth/720172/
