Generative AI was a major theme in the 2023 report, with 55% of respondents saying that it can already outperform hackers or will be able to do so within the next five years. However, hackers aren’t worried about being replaced, with 72% of respondents saying that generative AI will not be able to replicate the creativity of hackers. When asked how generative AI is being used, the top functions that hackers mentioned were automating tasks (50%), analyzing data (48%), identifying vulnerabilities (36%), validating findings (35%), and conducting reconnaissance (33%). 64% believed that generative AI technologies have increased the value of ethical hacking and security research. The uptick in AI usage among hackers aligns with guidance from the U.S. Department of Defense in 2022 and President Biden’s Cybersecurity executive order, EO 14028 where he noted “The value of harnessing AI in cybersecurity applications is becoming increasingly clear…The methods show great promise for swiftly analyzing and correlating patterns across billions of data points to track down a wide variety of cyber threats in the order of seconds.”
Full survey : Generative AI outperforms hackers but not their creativity.
