AI system poisoning is a growing threat — is your security regime ready?

Although motivations like that mean any organization using AI could be a victim, Kayne McGladrey, a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a nonprofit professional association, and field CISO at Hyperproof, says he expects hackers will be more likely to target the tech companies making and training AI systems.

But CISOs shouldn’t breathe a sigh of relief, McGladrey says, as their organizations could be impacted by those attacks if they are using the vendor-supplied corrupted AI systems.

How to Operationalize Your Risk Assessments at Data Connectors Dallas

Thursday, May 16, 2024

Risk assessments have moved beyond a check-the-box approach, especially with the SEC’s new disclosure requirements. Join us for our session, How to Operationalize Your Risk Assessment Process, to get practical guidance on navigating the complexities of risk assessments to drive tangible business outcomes. Kayne McGladrey, Field CISO at Hyperproof, will navigate through the essential steps required to operationalize risk assessments effectively within diverse organizational structures. From conceptualization to execution, participants will gain actionable insights into crafting and implementing tailored risk assessment strategies tailored to their unique organizational contexts.

AI models inch closer to hacking on their own

The big picture: AI model operators don’t have a good way of reigning in these malicious use cases, Kayne McGladrey, a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), told Axios. Allowing LLMs to digest and train on CVE data can help defenders synthesize the wave of threat alerts coming their way each day. Operators have only two real choices in this type of situation: allow the models to train on security vulnerability data or completely block them from accessing vulnerability lists, he added. “It’s going to be a feature of the landscape because it is a dual-use technology at the end of the day,” McGladrey said.

The Jobs of Tomorrow: Insights on AI and the Future of Work

Kayne McGladrey, IEEE Senior Member, noted that the use of generative AI models in business hinges on their ability to provide accurate information. He cited as examples studies of AI models’ abilities to extract information from documents used for financial sector regulation that are frequently relied on to make investment decisions. “Right now, the best AI models get 80 percent of the questions right,” McGladrey said. “They hallucinate the other 20 percent of the time. That’s not a good sign if you think you are making investment decisions based on artificial intelligence telling you this is a great strategy four out of five times.”

What are the biggest ethical considerations of security technology?

Algorithmic bias is one of the primary risks associated with emerging physical surveillance technologies. While the risks of facial recognition software are well known and documented, efforts are being taken to adapt computer vision to new and novel use cases. For example, one of the more deeply flawed failures was an attempt to detect aggressive behaviour or body language, which was unfeasible as there was not enough training data available. Other physical security systems will face a similar challenge of not discriminating against individuals based on protected factors due to a lack of training data, or more likely, a lack of gender or racially unbiased training data. Companies considering purchasing advanced or emerging physical security systems should enquire about the training data used in the development of those systems to not be subject to civil penalties resulting from discrimination caused by using said systems.

Boards need to brush up on cybersecurity governance, survey finds

CISOs now face substantial personal risks, as seen in cases like Uber and SolarWinds where the SEC has taken legal action against the security chiefs. The primary risk is both personal and professional liability for the CISO, according to Kayne McGladrey, field CISO at Hyperproof. The problem, however, is that boards unaware of the business risks from poor cybersecurity are unlikely to include the CISO in the Directors & Officers insurance policy. “This exposes CISOs to substantial risk,” McGladrey told Cybersecurity Dive.

Podcast: Art of Cyber Defense: Insights from a Theatrical Minded CISO with Kayne McGladrey

Prepare to laugh until your stomach hurts with our most hilarious episode yet, featuring the one and only theater kid turned cybersecurity guru, Kayne McGladrey, Field CISO at Hyperproof. Join us for a rollercoaster of emotions as we dive into the absurdity of security info in 10K filings, engage in heated debates over the polarizing cinnamon sticky bun ale, and champion the cause for more singing and dancing in cybersecurity. Think of it as the “Cybersecurity’s Got Talent” episode you never knew you needed! Kayne’s journey is packed with invaluable insights and captivating stories that are as unique as they are engaging.

Cybersecurity in Financial Disclosures: 11 Topics Your Section 1C of 10-K Filings Should Address

Despite this guidance mandating only four disclosures (identifying and managing risks, disclosing material breaches, board oversight, and management’s role), over 40% of the 2,100+ 10-K filings I’ve reviewed between January 1 and March 11, 2024 disclosed eleven distinct topics.

Companies are disclosing more information than required in their 10-K filings for various reasons. One is that they lack a broad consensus how much detail to disclose in Section 1C. The recent civil litigation of SEC vs. Tim Brown and SolarWinds (case 1:23-cv-09518 in the Southern District of New York) significantly influences the disclosure requirements.

FedRAMP Project Update | Drafting Compliance Ep. 30

Tom provides an update on the status of the Hyperproof FedRAMP project. Along the way, Kayne uncovers some of the challenges associated with the project and suggests solutions for others going through the same process. And straight out of left field, Kayne actually likes a beer more than Tom. Come find out what caused this seismic disturbance in the force.

What are the pros and cons of shadow IT?

As workers develop and deploy technology without any reviews or security assessments, they often increase the organization’s exposure to various risks, said Kayne McGladrey, a senior member of the IEEE and field CISO at Hyperproof, a compliance management software company, based in Seattle.

Employees should be aware that the IT department conducts thorough research to ensure the organization’s technology is safe and compliant with company policies. The technology itself could be vulnerable to cyberattacks, as unauthorized tech rarely goes through the same level of scrutiny that technology selected and onboarded by IT does, he said.

The practice of shadow IT could open the organization to critical weaknesses. Hackers are known to look for such vulnerabilities, further upping the cybersecurity risk, McGladrey said. IT teams might face challenges in managing unfamiliar technologies not approved by the organization. As the unauthorized technology falls outside of IT’s knowledge and control, the IT team might have less visibility into and a diminished ability to monitor its use, he said.

The Evolving Landscape of Cybersecurity for Medium-Sized Businesses

In recent years, we’ve seen a significant shift in the threats targeting businesses. “Everybody focused on the human harms, people couldn’t check into their hotel rooms; people couldn’t use an ATM… the nature of the technical exploits is not what we focus on in terms of harm… that’s not what we focus on in terms of harm,” states Kayne McGladrey, a field CISO at Hyperproof and senior IEEE member. This reiterates the transition from mere inconvenience to significant operational disruptions and economic consequences that cyber threats now pose.