JULIAN NISONOFF'S CYBER BLOG

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Hi, I'm Julian!

I'm currently a cybersecurity student from Colorado, building my skills and looking to soon enter the field. I've made this blog to showcase my thoughts about the rapidly changing industry as well as my personal projects.

Blog Posts

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Cyber Security in the Age of AI

With machine learning models becoming more complex by the day, the security risks they pose grow exponentially.

Not only does AI reduce both the budget and skill requirements for potential attackers, but its ability to learn makes their operations more effective. Phishing scams being the most common, have long been automated on a massive scale. The danger now is that these programs can learn and improve upon their social engineering methods in real time. This can include altering or fully generating photos, audio, or video that at times can even fool AI detection algorithms. These learning models also have the ability to detect vulnerabilities in a system at unprecedented speed. Through a process called neural fuzzing, vast aunts of random input data can be tested at high speed, allowing a threat actor to quickly devise a plan of attack. As someone just entering the field, all of this is quite intimidating at first glance. The idea of having to keep up with something that can process information so rapidly seems like a fruitless task. However, while the threats are ever present, the same tools can be used to improve security. AI's ability to learn can improve threat detection by analyzing network traffic much more efficiently, allow for more effective threat testing through neural fuzzing, and provide stricter authentication requirements through real-time behavioral monitoring. These factors lead to me being more optimistic than fearful regarding the future of AI in cybersecurity. The New Jersey Cybersecurity Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) has an article with further details regarding the pros and cons of AI: https://www.cyber.nj.gov/guidance-and-best-practices/artificial-intelligence/seeing-ai-to-ai-artificial-intelligence-and-its-impact-on-cybersecurity

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Should Companies pay Ransoms?

As personal data continues to become and ever more valuable asset, it's theft remains one of the greatest threats to large enterprises across the globe.

The ransom payouts have also grown, with CNA Financial recently paying out $40 million to regain access to their network after falling victim to a ransomware attack. This has led many to wonder whether or not these companies should be willing to pay attackers. The FBI's official stance is a resounding no, under no circumstance a company pay the ransom. This is because there is no promise the data will be returned and it would further incentivize future attackers. Many PR firms would also likely suggest not paying, as it can massively damage a brand's reputation. However, in a 2022 article, Forbes PR analyst Edward Segal poses this question to two data security lawyers who disagree with this this black and white mentality. They seem to believe that there are times when an organization crucial operating data is so compromised that payment may be the only solution. They also point out that negotiators who specialize in cyber-crime could potentially garner a release of the attacker's vulnerability information in order to prevent a copycat attack. I believe this is probably the more realistic take in the current state of the cybersecurity landscape. While it should be treated as a final option, sometimes a resource is compromised beyond what can be realistically fixed. However, the best course of action would be to ensure the integrity of your system's security, as well as training staff how to spot the common signs of ransomware deployment.