Intelligent security tools
Assessing intelligent tools for cyber security
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Note
This guidance is currently under review. We're aware that Intelligent Security Tools have changed a lot in the last few years and the potential for AI-enhanced tooling has grown considerably. We'll be updating this guidance shortly but, in the meantime, if you have any recommendations for incorporating AI tooling in your cyber workflows and, crucially, measuring its impact (positive or negative), please do get in touch via our Data Science Research team: NCSC Data Science Research email. Please also see a recent blog on this topic, Why cyber defenders need to be ready for frontier AI
Introduction
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fast becoming the 'next big thing' in security. There are a huge number of 'intelligent' tools coming to market, each one promising to solve problems better and faster than traditional approaches.
But do intelligent tools actually outperform humans in every case? How can you determine whether an intelligent tool is right for you? And who would fix your intelligent systems if they were to let you down? This guidance will help you find answers to these, and many other questions.
Though the future will likely see AI making significant contributions to many fields, the picture at present is far from clear. Intelligent tools are not without their limitations. Poorly trained AI can have biases and vulnerabilities that we are only just beginning to understand.
Ultimately, if you buy the wrong tool for the job, your problem will remain unsolved.
How this guidance helps
This guidance is designed for those looking to use an off the shelf security tool that employs AI as a core component. It may also be of use to those developing in-house AI security tools or when considering AI for some non-security business function.
If you are thinking of incorporating AI into your security systems, there are a few things you need to understand first. You should clarify your own needs, understand the nature of the technology underlying any products you're considering, and finally, determine whether an 'intelligent' solution will give you a net gain in security.
Following a brief primer on AI, this guidance divides the consideration of intelligent security tools in four sections.
Each section poses a series of questions which will help you determine whether an intelligent solution is practical and advantageous for your particular security needs.
