After two and a half decades in information security, I’ve witnessed countless failures in security efforts. Most of them can be traced back to either asking the wrong questions or lacking the necessary context for effective action. Enter AI, which promises to address these shortcomings with two fundamental advantages: Context and Question-based security products.

Flaws in Vulnerability Management

Beware: Frustrations ahead for those who’ve run a VM program.

Vulnerability management programs often fail not due to insufficient vulnerability identification, but for reasons such as:

1. Focusing on the number of vulnerabilities instead of the speed of remediation (wrong questions)
2. Building a scanning and reporting system instead of a discovery and remediation pipeline (wrong questions)
3. Insufficient knowledge of ownership for driving remediation (lack of context)

Web Application Security Woes

Traditional web application security suffers from similar issues, focusing on listing vulnerabilities rather than examining ways to harm the business (wrong questions) and struggling with non-experts’ inability to discern vulnerabilities from web traffic (lack of context).

The AI Solution

AI will redefine infosec by continuously consuming and parsing all logs, configurations, documentation, and communication.

In a post-AI world, security software and programs will be based on asking critical questions against AI models that have full context of the environment. From driving action, assigning work, to recommending fixes, AI will enable top-tier security programs through data-driven context and astute questions.

A New Era for Vulnerability Management and Web App Testing

With the full context and right questions, we’ll be able to ask our AI models about our top applications, systems, vulnerabilities, and remediation options, revolutionizing vulnerability management. Similarly, web app testing will shift from manual expert-driven processes to AI-driven analysis, identifying vulnerable parameters, URLs, and potential business impacts.

Red Teaming Made Simple

Red teams, the ultimate navigators of questions and context, will benefit from AI models that simplify their tasks by codifying their list of questions and drawing from the full context of the environment.

A New Security Landscape

AI will significantly diminish the difficulty of infosec, shedding light on the dark corners of IT configurations and making it harder for hackers to hide. Security software companies must consider the implications of full access to IT state and the ability to ask high-quality questions. The key to success? Better data/state/context and better questions.

Summary:

• AI brings context and question-based security products, revolutionizing infosec
• Vulnerability management and web application security will be transformed by AI-driven context and focused questions
• Red teaming will become more efficient with AI models that facilitate codifying questions and drawing from the full context
• Security software companies must adapt to the AI-driven landscape by offering superior data/state/context and better questions

The AI revolution in infosec is inevitable. Context and question-based security products will reshape the industry, forcing companies to adapt or risk obsolescence. Embrace the change, and leverage AI to create a more secure future.