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During her keynote, Dorit explored the topic of AI and Machine Learning through the lens of cybersecurity, which has shifted gears over the last twelve months. The volume of cyberattacks has risen year-on-year, with a 38% increase in 2022 compared to the previous year, and all threat vectors are being exploited. Supply chain attacks continue to challenge organizations and zero-day vulnerabilities are being uncovered, such as the 3CX compromise found in March 2023. The geopolitical landscape has never been more fractured in response to the Russo-Ukraine war, and ransomware has evolved beyond classic encryption to more sophisticated data extortion.

Just as attack types have adapted to thrive, so too must the cybersecurity industry. Dor said: “Generative AI is like two sides of the same coin. On the one hand, offensive cyber activities can be accelerated through these platforms. It can reduce the time and technical knowledge needed to develop new attack variations and it allows people to create fake identities and content. However, it can also offer faster routes to product development, accelerate administrative tasks through autonomous policies and configuration, and help SOC teams be more effective in hunting and investigation.”

Dor added: “There is no denying that AI will change the way we work in the digital space. While there is so much potential to unlock, we’re not yet in a place where these engines have been provided with enough diverse data to make them completely accurate and we don’t have the expertise to advance them beyond this point. Every technology change brings risk, and although we may have some way to go, the benefits may ultimately outweigh the negatives.”

Check Point has long leveraged the potential of AI through ThreatCloudAI. As the brain behind the company, it powers more than 40 collaborative AI engines to provide the most accurate prevention. It monitors millions of emails, websites, files, mobile applications, and web forms to build a picture of attacks in the wild that enables them to deliver 99.7% security effectiveness.

While at the event, Deryck Mitchelson, Field CISO EMEA at Check Point also took a deep dive into the state of cybersecurity in the UK. During his presentation, Mitchelson explored the security issues that continue to plague businesses, despite being a technology developed country. He broke down the most exploited threats including Business Email Compromise (BEC) and phishing, network misconfiguration, DDoS, hacktivism, and ransomware.

Mitchelson said: “We often hear CISOs talking about the demands put upon them to build succession plans that can be implemented at short notice, and programmes of improvement such as incident response, vulnerability management, data loss prevention. They must adhere to complex regulatory compliance all while reducing operating costs and demonstrating return on investment. This is compounded by the fact there is a chronic skills shortage which many CISOs are offsetting by prioritising staff training and certification, but it’s not enough to address the wider gaps in expertise.”

Mitchelson went on to discuss how the role the CISO has changed over time, with personal liability becoming more common. He cited the example of Joe Sullivan, former Uber Chief Security Officer who was sentenced for covering up the 2016 theft of more than 57 million records and 600,000 driving licenses.

He added: “Everything has become more complicated in the industry, but it is important that we now move forward and adopt zero-trust cybersecurity measures and a more proactive approach. We’ve seen offensive efforts at an international level from countries including Australia and the US who are actively cutting off revenue sources for threat groups. The UK government has yet to be so bold but there are positive signs as seen in the cyber security strategy paper published last year.”

Customers, employees and partners also heard from several other Check Point executives with the afternoon culminating in a panel discussion featuring Dorit Dor, Deryck Mitchelson, Maya Horowitz, VP of Research and Sharon Schusheim , CIO & Head of Global Services. They covered several topics including the impact of AI on product development and how CISOs can better communicate cybersecurity efforts within an organization.