Bernhard Günthner
EVP IoT Software at Kontron
As more people gain access to the internet worldwide, the importance of effective cybersecurity increases. There are those who intentionally aim to exploit and gain unauthorized access to an organization’s systems and confidential information. In fact, it was revealed that in 2022, an average of 64% of companies worldwide have experienced at least one form of cyber-attack.
The times when you could look at the LED of a network hub and see the actual network traffic are long gone. Today, we are facing automated threats in networks that are no longer preventable by individuals alone. By investing in S&T Group’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) security solutions, enhanced cybersecurity is a given. However, how do we challenge emerging AI technology before we even know what it is?
The future of AI technology
Over the past two years, I have been promoting the vast potential of our AI solutions, and the benefits it can bring to business security.
What I found out quite rapidly is that today’s AI applications are predominately use-case and setup specific. Out of the box AI products are only possible in very generic fields like speech or recognition of people through images. As soon as we entered domain specific fields, we had to significantly reconfigure our systems for them to function as intended.
This highlights a disparity between Asia and Central Europe in terms of production capacities. Markets in Asia can tailor to a very specific setup for mass roll out over several production lines. Here in Europe, we do not have that scaling factor as of yet, which makes the current market access, and product range not as appealing to European businesses. In fact, it was estimated in 2019 that less than half of European firms have adopted an AI technology.
As AI innovation continues to develop at lightning speed, we envisage a change on the horizon. By utilizing automated product solutions for critical infrastructure, operators can bring innumerable security benefits to growing and large-scale businesses. Of course, when a business is at risk of a financially damaging cyber-threat, a fast and secure solution is essential.
Why AI is still an emerging concept
Black AI boxes solve problems without any sort of programming requirement, which sounds appealing, wouldn’t you think? When we explained the benefits of this product, potential customers showed interest, but the number of them willing to invest in this area was low. Across multiple industry sectors, the general consensus highlighted that businesses seemed quite skeptical of the capabilities of AI infrastructure, and of investing in this for their business security.
However, this view seems to be changing. When looking back and analyzing the security incidents of the last year, we have found that many companies have reduced their IT departments as much as possible due to the rise of automated functionality. This is something that is not likely to change due to the fact there is a global shortage of skilled workers. At S&T Group, we are able to provide the innovation needed to change perceptions of AI security. For example, we have created semi-automated software kits (out of the perspective of a traditional virus scanner) with zero-day threads that can detect any incoming threats as soon as they emerge.
The AI benefits that are worth investing in
AI today has many demanding requirements in order for a business to reap the full rewards on offer. Including, but not limited to very domain specific environment requirements, significant data packages, IP addresses, and scalable port capacity.
So, what are the benefits of AI for security protection? Granted, an AI program will not break up certificates, look into the traffic, or decide if a particular attachment is a package performing a zero-day attack, as there are anti-virus solutions for that. However, AI can target threats directly, and has the innate and crucial ability to detect an attack spreading in a network. This blocks any traffic while also giving IT professionals sufficient time to react and take preventative counter measures, stopping any sophisticated hacking malware in its tracks.
In summary, AI is obviously not a product in its own right, but it makes your products better, more innovative and more advanced. AI is in the DNA of all our digital transformation products in the kontron susietec Toolset. Just like our AI-based intrusion detection, we have AI-optimized machine throughput in our prediction systems.
Digital solutions from a single source
Kontron susietec offers digital solutions from a single source. As an experienced partner, we assist mechanical engineering and manufacturing companies on their way to achieving digital transformation. The kontron susietec Toolset is part of our holistic digitization solution that brings software, hardware and expertise together – with the goal of capitalizing on the potential of IoT and Industry 4.0. Our focus is on operational excellence and the continuous development of technology and people.
Digitization is no longer just a challenge or an opportunity. We see digitization as essential for growth and success. With the kontron susietec Toolset, we provide our customers in the automotive, pharmaceutical and high-tech industries with purpose-specific tools for digital transformation. Combined with our expertise in analysis, consulting and support, we make it easier to implement future-driven business models – sustainably, effectively and in a customer-oriented way.
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