Machine Learning and Security: Hope or Hype?

Pedestrians walk under a surveillance camera, which is part of a facial recognition technology test in Berlin, Germany. Machine learning shines at tasks like this because it can recognize patterns and predict threats in massive data sets, all at machine speed. There is a temptation to hail major advances in technology as cure-alls for the challenges facing organizations and society today. The fanfare usually ends in disappointment, as the latest superhero technology doesn't live up to its expectations. Not surprisingly, machine learning, a domain within the broader field of artificial intelligence, has been hailed as the current be-all end-all answer in cybersecurity. As a result, it is currently at the peak of inflated expectations in Gartner's most recent Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies.