Meet Jerry Horton, a highly skilled and experienced cybersecurity expert with nearly 40 years of industry experience. Jerry has a deep understanding of ever-evolving cyber threats and the strategies needed to protect sensitive information.
In addition to earning his Bachelor of Science degree in information technology, networking, and telecommunications, he completed his post graduate work in information security and assurance. Jerry has earned numerous additional certifications, including certified ethical hacker and certified information systems professional. He is passionate about educating others on cybersecurity best practices and helping organizations build a strong defense against cyber-attacks.
The hot topic today is the discussion of whether to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace and if so, when and how to do so. We sat down with Jerry to find out his professional opinion of this topic.
For additional information or to follow up with any questions you may have, we invite you to contact Jerry or one of our Business Account Managers at consulting@networksplus.com.
Read the Interview Here:
What are the various types of Artificial Intelligence available on the market today?
There are many types of AI, however predictive and generative are the two that most directly impact daily lives.
Predictive AI is being used nearly everywhere and has been for a long time. It is, essentially, the model used for Alexa and Siri. It is also used for chat bots, texting, word processing, etc. Predictive AI ‘predicts’ what is likely to happen.
Generative AI can produce original content in response to prompts – such as creating images, videos, reports, stories, etc. This is the type of AI used in ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Microsoft Copilot, among many others.
What are some concerns you have as an IT/Cybersecurity expert regarding using AI in the corporate world?
As far as predictive AI – I don’t really have any as it is typically self-contained and uses statistical analysist to identify patterns and forecast behaviors. It also doesn’t generally use any sensitive data to assist you in your daily tasks. Having said that, I do have numerous concerns when it comes to generative AI. Let me explain.
Generative AI is prompt and response driven, using public large language (PLL) models and is not yet governed. This means that any data you submit is now available to the entire world. If you submit any sensitive data relating to your company – it can potentially be seen by literally anyone.
Let’s take this one step further and look at the United States department of defense’s information clearance system as an example. As you may be aware, they have distinguished three levels of clearance for data which include the following.
TOP SECRETInformation in which the unauthorized disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security.
SECRETInformation in which the unauthorized disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause serious damage to the national security.
CONFIDENTIAL Information in which the unauthorized disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause damage to the national security.
Now, imagine if you will, the data and information your organization has. Consider your data in a similar fashion – breaking it into three of your own categories. Hypothetically, perhaps they would consist of the following.
Confidential – only your C-Suite and/board of directors is privy to this.
Private – only your management team and key employees have access to this information.
Public – all employees have been granted access to this information.
Considering this, what if, suddenly, anyone across the globe could access it? It could potentially impact your day-to-day operations.
If AI is used incorrectly, this is precisely what could happen. It would be like handing over the keys to your office and granting the world permission to access all your data. I imagine no one wants their private information to land in the wrong hands.
While there are many encouraging us to embrace all the exciting benefits of generative AI, Networks Plus is asking you to pull the reigns ever-so-slightly. As typical early adopters of technology, we have growing concerns about the lack of governmental regulations in place and fear there could be serious consequences to the misuse of sensitive data.
What do you recommend SMBs do when faced with the adoption of AI into their organizations?
Networks Plus is very aware of the challenges surrounding AI in the workplace. We are actively researching and determining what we believe to be the best practices of AI implementation. Our goal is to assist our clients in developing an implementation plan that not only protects its integrity, but that also positions its employees to use AI tools safely and effectively.
