Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre (CSCRC), together with Data61, the innovation arm of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and cybersecurity startup Penten, have announced a joint research project that will focus on developing artificial intelligence (AI) enabled cybersecurity defence mechanisms. Under the arrangement announced at D61 Live on Wednesday, Penten will have access to Data61's AI research, which it will use to extend on its existing work to build AI-enabled technology such as "cyber traps" and "decoys". According to Penten CEO Matthew Wilson, using AI will help speed up the creation of cyber traps and make them more realistic. "Our solutions use artificial intelligence to learn the patterns of activity and content from surrounding computers and data. We then use this information to create realistic and believable mimics. This means we can deliver suitable content extremely efficiently, tailored to a customer environment and with minimal effort on the part of the defender," he said.

Technicians and researchers are cautioning about the threat such technology poses for cybersecurity, that fundamentally important practice that keeps our computers and data -- and governments' and corporations' computers and data -- safe from hackers. In February, a study from teams at the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge warned that AI could be used as a tool to hack into drones and autonomous vehicles, and turn them into potential weapons. "Autonomous cars like Google's (Waymo) are already using deep learning, can already raid obstacles in the real world," Caspi said, "so raiding traditional anti-malware system in cyber domain is possible." Another study, by U.S. cybersecurity software giant Symantec, said that 978 million people across 20 countries were affected by cybercrime last year. Victims of cybercrime lost a total of $172 billion -- an average of $142 per person -- as a result, researchers said.

Technicians and researchers are cautioning about the threat such technology poses for cybersecurity, that fundamentally important practice that keeps our computers and data -- and governments' and corporations' computers and data -- safe from hackers. In February, a study from teams at the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge warned that AI could be used as a tool to hack into drones and autonomous vehicles, and turn them into potential weapons. "Autonomous cars like Google's (Waymo) are already using deep learning, can already raid obstacles in the real world," Caspi said, "so raiding traditional anti-malware system in cyber domain is possible." Another study, by U.S. cybersecurity software giant Symantec, said that 978 million people across 20 countries were affected by cybercrime last year. Victims of cybercrime lost a total of $172 billion -- an average of $142 per person -- as a result, researchers said.