The Record - Issue 21: Summer 2021

73 C ybercriminals are using artificial intelli- gence (AI) to evolve the sophistication of attacks at a rapid pace. In response, an increasing number of organisations are also adopting the technology as part of their cyber- security strategies. According to research con- ducted in Mimecast’s State of Email Security Report 2021 , 39 per cent of organisations are utilising AI to bolster their email defences. Although we’re still in the early phases of these technologies and their application to cyber­ security, this is a rising trend. Companies using advanced technologies such as AI and layered email defences, while also regularly training their employees in attack-resistant behaviours, will be in the best possible position to sidestep future attacks and recover quickly. Mimecast is integrating AI capabilities to help halt some of cybersecurity’s most pervasive threats. Take the use of tracking pixels in emails, for example, which both BBC and ZDNet have called ‘endemic’. Spy trackers embedded in emails have become ubiquitous – often by marketers but also, increasingly, by cybercriminals looking to gather information to weaponise highly tar- geted business email compromise attacks. Mimecast’s CyberGraph uses machine learn- ing, a subset of AI, to block these hard-to-detect email threats, thus limiting reconnaissance and mitigating human error. CyberGraph disarms embedded trackers and uses machine learning and identity graph technologies to detect anoma- lous malicious behaviour. Because the AI is con- tinually learning, it requires no configuration, thus lessening the burden on IT teams and reduc- ing the likelihood of unsafe misconfiguration. Plus, as an add-on to Mimecast Email Security, CyberGraph offers differentiated capability inte- grated into an existing secure email gateway, streamlining your email security strategy. AI is here, and here to stay. Although its use is not a silver bullet, there’s a strong case for it in the future of cybersecurity. Mimecast CyberGraph combines with many other layers of protection. It embeds colour-coded warning banners in emails to highlight detected risks, and it solicits user feedback. This feedback strength- ens the machine learning model and can update banners across all similar emails to highlight the new risk levels. As more cyber resilience strategies begin to adopt AI, it will be vital that people and tech- nology continue to inform one another to pro- vide agile protection against ever-evolving threat landscapes. Innovations such as CyberGraph provide evidence that AI has a promising value proposition in cybersecurity. Duncan Mills is the senior product marketing manager at Mimecast AI is the future of cybersecurity As cybersecurity criminals explore more sophisticated forms of attack, businesses must arm themselves with the tools to fight back DUNCAN M I L L S : M I ME CA S T V I EWPO I NT “Mimecast is integrating AI capabilities to help halt some of cybersecurity’s most pervasive threats”