6 ways hackers will use machine learning to launch attacks

Defined as the "ability for (computers) to learn without being explicitly programmed," machine learning is huge news for the information security industry. It's a technology that potentially can help security analysts with everything from malware and log analysis to possibly identifying and closing vulnerabilities earlier. Perhaps too, it could improve endpoint security, automate repetitive tasks, and even reduce the likelihood of attacks resulting in data exfiltration. Naturally, this has led to the belief that these intelligent security solutions will spot - and stop - the next WannaCry attack much faster than traditional, legacy tools. "It's still a nascent field, but it is clearly the way to go in the future. Artificial intelligence and machine learning will dramatically change how security is done," said Jack Gold, president and principal analyst at J.Gold Associates, when speaking recently to CSO Online.