In light of the new AI-powered cyberattacks, Microsoft uses AI to combat them

Microsoft and OpenAI recently released a report that showcases the ways Russian, Iranian, North Korean, and Chinese threat actors are using the powers of generative AI to infiltrate targets, especially government institutions, enacting acts of cyber espionage, and theft of sensitive and confidential data.

The threat actors are also using AI-powered cyberattacks to destabilize networks and cause chaos in the systemic infrastructure of whole countries, with Microsoft and OpenAI stating that many such attacks were used to damage Ukrainian networks in the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

The Redmond-based tech giant in partnership with OpenAI, managed to address and eradicate accounts and assets related to these threat actors, and the companies said that they will use their own AI-backed Microsoft Copilot for Security to strengthen security for government institutions and commercial customers moving forward.

In a new report, published recently, Microsoft laid out the plan for doing so, emphasizing the important role Copilot for Security would play in dealing with and even preventing such attacks from happening in the first place, with the company stating:

Microsoft Copilot for Security is the first generative AI security product that will help defend organizations at machine speed and scale. It combines the most advanced GPT4 model from OpenAI with a Microsoft-developed security model, powered by Microsoft Security’s unique expertise, global threat intelligence, and comprehensive security products.  

Microsoft

The Redmond-based tech giant says that one of the biggest advantages of the Copilot for Security is that the AI tool will seamlessly integrate with existing infrastructures, greatly reducing the time to implement it, something essential when it comes to combating cyberattacks.

Microsoft Copilot for Security is designed to work seamlessly with the systems and tools used by modern governments, specifically the security operations center (SOC) for managing security on an organizational and technical level, and the security information and event management (SIEM) solution for detecting, analyzing, and responding to threats. 

Microsoft

Microsoft Copilot for Security will work on a natural language interaction, so it won’t need special inputs from customers to scan, detect, and deal with threats. And since many of these threat actors use code in different languages, Copilot will be able to translate their descriptions and offer solutions in real-time, says Microsoft.

The goal is not to replace the existing cybersecurity threat analysts but to help them deal with threats faster and more efficiently. Microsoft says Copilot for Security will excel in this regard, as the tool saves up to 40% of the analysts’ time on foundational tasks like threat intelligence assessments, and up to 63% of their time preparing reports.

Microsoft Copilot for Security will be available to the general public later this year, but the tool is already available through the Early Access Program, in case organizations want to test it out. Microsoft recommends customers should implement a set of platforms in their infrastructures before deploying Copilot for Security.

It includes accessing and adopting the following platforms as soon as possible:

• Microsoft Defender XDR
• Microsoft Sentinel
• Microsoft Intune 

These tools deliver a unified security operations platform that complements most existing environments and investments, and they provide a strong security foundation that leverages Microsoft’s vast security data and expertise.  

Microsoft

Microsoft combats fire with fire, so it can’t go that wrong, can it? What do you think?