Google LLC today announced a new AI Cyber Defense Initiative and proposed a new policy and technology agenda aimed at harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to bolster cybersecurity defenses globally.

The new initiative is designed to counteract evolving threats by leveraging AI’s capabilities to enhance threat detection, automate vulnerability management and improve incident response efficiency.

Google argues that the main challenge in cybersecurity is that attackers need only one successful, novel threat to break through the best defenses. On the flip side, defenders need to deploy the best defenses at all times across increasingly complex digital terrain with no margin for error. Google calls this the “Defender’s Dilemma,” and there has never been a reliable way to tip that balance.

This is where AI enters the picture. Google believes AI at scale can tackle the Defender’s Dilemma. AI can do so by allowing security professionals and defenders to scale up their work in threat detection and related cybersecurity defense requirements.

The AI Cyber Defense initiative aims to employ AI not only to respond to threats but to anticipate and neutralize them before they can cause harm. The idea behind the initiative is that the traditional reactive cybersecurity model is no longer sufficient in a world where cyberthreats are becoming increasingly sophisticated and pervasive.

The new initiative includes deploying AI-driven algorithms designed to identify and analyze patterns indicative of cyber threats. Using data generated across its global network, Google will train AI systems to learn from the full range of threats and teach them to adapt to new tactics employed by cybercriminals.

As part of the initiative, Google is also using AI to drive significant advances in vulnerability management. The idea is that by identifying vulnerabilities within software and systems, AI can significantly reduce the window of opportunity for attackers to exploit these weaknesses. Thrown into the mix is AI’s ability to suggest and implement fixes to vulnerabilities, streaming the patching process and, in doing so, further reducing the risk of a breach.

The initiative further outlines the use of AI in incident response and automates the analysis of indices to identify the source, method and extent of an attack.

Google is calling for a collaborative approach to recognizing the global nature of cyberthreats and calls for partnerships between industries and governments to share intelligence, best practices and advancements in AI-driven security measures. As part of the program, Google is expanding its Google.org Cybersecurity Seminars Program to cover all of Europe.

Finally, Google announced today that it’s open-sourcing Magika, a new, AI-powered tool to aid defenders through file type identification, essential for detecting malware. Magika is already used to help protect products, including Gmail, Drive and Safe Browsing and is used by Google’s VirusTotal team to foster a safer digital environment.

Google says Magika outperforms conventional file identification methods, providing an overall 30% accuracy boost and up to 95% higher precision on traditionally hard-to-identify but potentially problematic content such as VBA, JavaScript and Powershell.

“The AI revolution is already underway,” Google concludes in a blog post on the announcements. “While people rightly applaud the promise of new medicines and scientific breakthroughs, we’re also excited about AI’s potential to solve generational security challenges while bringing us close to the safe, secure and trusted digital world we deserve.”

Photo: Google