AI Is the New Weapon Against Cyberattacks

They're using machine learning to sort through millions of malware files, searching for common characteristics that will help them identify new attacks. They're analyzing people's voices, fingerprints and typing styles to make sure that only authorized users get into their systems. And they're hunting for clues to figure out who launched cyberattacks--and make sure they can't do it again. "The problem we're running into these days is the amount of data we see is overwhelming," says Mathew Newfield, chief information-security officer at Unisys Corp. UIS 0.50% "Trying to analyze that information is impossible for a human, and that's where machine learning can come into play." The push for AI comes as companies face a huge increase in threats and more-sophisticated criminals who can often draw on nation-states for resources.