Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the way we live and work. With the launch of ChatGPT, we are taking advanced systems primarily used by scientists and engineers and creating a set of tools that are easily accessible to everyone, from students to businesses innovating their operations. has been democratized.
Additionally, AI is becoming an essential competitive advantage for companies looking to differentiate themselves, streamline product development, and elevate customer service operations.
Before jumping into the AI pool, there is one question companies should ask themselves. Are you ready to fully protect your customers from jailbreak attempts and other cyber-attacks targeting your AI systems?
Businesses need to think about more than just securing their own systems, but this is just as important. By incorporating AI into nearly every aspect of our connected lives, we are building a chaotic, interconnected system that will change the way companies do business.
As AI gains greater control over tasks, the impact of cyber attacks will become more devastating. Compounding the problem is the fact that some of the largest and most powerful AI systems are particularly vulnerable. AI jailbreak attempts are the attack of the future.
In layman’s terms, AI jailbreaking is a type of hacking in which an attacker tricks an AI system into bypassing rules and safeguards and performing unintended actions or activities. These attacks can have fatal consequences, depending on how the system is controlled. AI jailbreaking has two main attack objectives.
The first is a traditional attack that steals data. In some cases, AI systems, like humans, can be tricked into sharing sensitive information such as medical information or business plans.
The difference from AI system attacks is the scale of damage, as mentioned above. In the case of a data breach due to human error, hackers need to find the right people who have access to the information they want or are attempting to steal. If your network is set up securely, you should have protocols in place to limit employee access and prevent breaches. However, the interconnections of AI systems are more likely to serve as unintended launching pads for hackers to penetrate deeper into the network.
The second, more malicious type of jailbreak attack targets the model itself, forcing the system to bypass safety protocols. For example, hacking an AI-powered car to misinterpret a “stop” sign as a “70 mph” sign could be fatal to passengers and others in the vicinity of the hacked vehicle. there is. Fooling a medical device could cause the system to overdosing a patient with pain medication. The list is endless and will only grow as AI is used more and more in our daily lives.
Regardless of the risks, abandoning AI is no longer an option. AI is here to stay. Companies should consider three factors when integrating AI into their operations:
Right-size your AI needs
Companies need to assess what they want and need from their AI systems. Bigger isn’t necessarily better. Large language models use huge datasets and statistical techniques, making them highly susceptible to attacks. However, symbolic or hybrid models have less data and operate based on explicit rules, making them more difficult to jailbreak.
Protect AI
Like any other system, AI must be protected using a defense-in-depth approach. Watermarking, encryption, and other security tools can enhance AI models, but cybersecurity teams must stress test them to find and fix vulnerabilities before hackers can exploit them.
Strengthening cybersecurity training
Security for AI systems must be integrated into a company’s security posture. Cybersecurity measures must be strengthened and adjusted for the AI era. Employee training is the cornerstone of an effective cybersecurity program, and its importance as the first line of defense cannot be underestimated, especially when AI systems are in use.
Ultimately, companies that do not protect their AI-driven products risk devastating reputational and financial damage if hackers launch an AI jailbreak attack on their systems.
Unlike hacking into current systems, which can cause considerable damage, the far-reaching impact of hacking into AI systems is greater than anything we have seen before due to the scale of its impact on society. It will be. Businesses need to start integrating security now during the development of their AI systems.
Alan Pellegrini is CEO of Thales North America.
