The US government has instructed its agencies to address long-standing security issues before diving headfirst into the latest frontier artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
The directive comes as expected advancements in AI threaten to compress attack timelines from days to hours, making it increasingly difficult for agencies to keep up with emerging cyber threats.
Avoiding the “Vulnerability Storm”
The federal government is warning that unless security basics are sorted, agencies risk being overwhelmed by a “vulnerability storm” as AI-powered attacks become more sophisticated and frequent.
Agencies have been told to address fundamental security issues, including patch management, vulnerability scanning, and user education, before investing in new AI technologies.
The move is seen as a bid to prevent the kind of security problems that have plagued the Pentagon’s AI-powered Sentinel system in recent years, which was left vulnerable to attack due to poor security practices.
“We need to get the basics right first”
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said: “We’re not saying that AI isn’t a valuable tool for our agencies, but we need to get the basics right first.
“If we’re not even able to patch our systems regularly, how can we trust that our AI systems are secure?”
What this means
The directive is a clear indication that the government is taking AI security seriously, and agencies that fail to address basic security issues risk being left behind.
For those in the private sector, this should serve as a reminder that AI security is a team effort, and addressing fundamental security issues is essential before investing in AI technologies.
As the government prepares for an AI-powered future, it’s clear that getting the basics right is essential to avoid a cybersecurity catastrophe.
