Nowadays, threat actors are leaning on new tools and techniques to improve the efficiency of their attacks. With attacks increasing in speed, agility, and sophistication, it is critical to maximize artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches to defend against evolving attack techniques. In this Q&A, FortiGuard Labs' Derek Manky and Jonas Walker discuss the changing threat landscape and the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in fighting today's cyber threats. Derek: We're seeing weekly changes driven by three major factors. One, we're seeing more speed and speed can kill. We often talk about the fact that there's more sophistication and more threats out there.

Swarm-based network attacks are still likely a couple years away, according to Derek Manky, chief of security insights and global threat alliances at FortiGuard Labs. But, especially as they start deploying 5G networks, enterprises should prepare for these types of attacks now. FortiGuard Labs is the global threat intelligence and research team at Fortinet. In a conversation at the recent RSA Conference, Manky explained the strategy behind swarm attacks -- one of the scarier emerging threats that he's been following for a few years. "And I do think this is on the horizon," he said.