“Harmony is the essence of civilization. Conflict is its transgression. Yet it is often in the crucible of conflict that the most effective instruments of harmony are honed.” – Victor Hugo.
Back in 1971, a disquieting message began to surface on numerous computers linked to ARPANET, the forerunner of what we now recognize as the Internet. This message, stating “I am the Troublemaker: track me if you can,” resulted from a program named Troublemaker, created by the esteemed programmer Bob Thomas during his tenure at BBN Technologies. While Thomas’ motives were not malevolent, the Troublemaker program symbolizes the introduction of what we currently identify as a computer virus.
The arrival of Troublemaker on ARPANET laid the groundwork for the origins of the initial Antivirus software. Though unconfirmed, it is speculated that Ray Thomlinson, renowned for pioneering email, devised Eradicator, a tool structured to eliminate Troublemaker from Infected Machines. The creation of this program intended for defensively pursuing and eradicating a malicious program from a system is frequently hailed as the birth of the cybersecurity domain. It underscores an early awareness of the potential impact of cyberattacks and the necessity for defensive measures.
The acknowledgment of the importance of cybersecurity shouldn’t be particularly astonishing, as the cyber domain is simply an abstraction of the physical realm. Just as humanity evolved from primitive weapons to more advanced armaments, the cyber warfare also progressed. It all commenced with a basic Troublemaker virus, a playful embodiment of what could signify a precursor of digital catastrophe. The identification of weaponized electronic systems urged the creation of antivirus solutions like Eradicator, and as the threats became more intricate, so did the defensive countermeasures. As we fast forward to the era of network-centric attacks, digital battlegrounds started taking shape. Firewalls emerged akin to vast city fortifications, load balancers acting as strategists allocating resources to prevent singular points from being overwhelmed, and Intrusion Detection and Prevention systems substituting sentries on watchtowers. Nevertheless, no system is flawless; there constantly exists the looming concern that a universally favored virtuous rootkit, referred to as an EDR solution, could harbor a detrimental coding flaw capable of irreparably damaging millions of Windows devices.
Setting aside catastrophic incidents, albeit unintentional, still leaves us pondering what lies ahead. Here steps in Provocative AI, the most perilous cyber tool in existence. In 2023, Foster Nethercott issued a comprehensive report at SANS Technology Institute outlining how threat actors could exploit ChatGPT with minimal technical acumen to develop unique malware capable of circumventing traditional security measures. Several other publications have also delved into the deployment of generative AI for crafting sophisticated worms such as Morris II and adaptive malware such as Black Mamba.
The seemingly contradictory solution to these escalating threats lies in advancing research into more sophisticated Provocative AI. Plato’s maxim, “Necessity breeds invention,” aptly reflects today’s cybersecurity landscape where new AI-driven threats spur the innovation of advanced security protocols. While honing more sophisticated Provocative AI tools and methodologies may not be ethically commendable, it emerges as an unavoidable imperative. To effectively counter these threats, we must grasp them, necessitating their further exploration and analysis.
This approach is grounded in a simple truth – you cannot mitigate a threat that eludes your comprehension, and without delving deeper into these new threats, understanding remains elusive. The regrettable reality is that nefarious actors are already harnessing Provocative AI to contrive and unleash fresh threats. Attempting to deny this fact would be misguided and shortsighted. Thus, the future of cybersecurity hinges on the continued advancement of Provocative AI.
If you desire to delve deeper into Provocative AI and obtain practical exposure to its integration into penetration testing, I cordially extend an invitation to attend my forthcoming workshop at SANS Network Security 2024: Provocative AI for Social Engineering and Deep Fake Development scheduled for September 7th in Las Vegas. This workshop will serve as an insightful introduction to my upcoming course, SEC535: Provocative AI – Attack Tools and Techniques, slated for release in early 2025. The event as a whole promises an exceptional opportunity to meet several distinguished AI experts and grasp how AI is shaping the future of cybersecurity. For event specifics and a complete rundown of supplementary activities, click here.
Note: This composition is masterfully crafted by Foster Nethercott, a United States Marine Corps and Afghanistan veteran with nearly a decade of cybersecurity experience. Foster is the proprietor of the security consulting firm Fortisec and serves as a contributor for SANS Technology Institute, actively engaged in developing the new course SEC 535 Provocative Artificial Intelligence.
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