This article is part of a VB special issue. Read the full series here: AI and Security. The cybersecurity skills shortage is well documented, but the gap seems to be widening. The 2019 Cybersecurity Workforce study produced by nonprofit (ISC)² looked at the cybersecurity workforce in 11 markets. The report found that while 2.8 million people currently work in cybersecurity roles, an additional…

Fears surrounding AI and cybersecurity reflect very real risks. AI-powered malware isn’t a threat we need to worry about right now, but attackers have become adept at manipulating AI systems to their own advantage, essentially turning them against users. Widespread manipulation of the algorithms used on social media is already causing problems in many parts of the world. And as sophisticated AI…

Imagine getting to a courthouse and seeing paper signs stuck to the doors with the message “Systems down.” What about police officers in the field unable to access information on laptops in their vehicles, or surgeries delayed in hospitals? That’s what can happen to a city, police department, or hospital in a ransomware attack. Ransomware is malicious software that can encrypt or control…