Future-Proof Your Cybersecurity: Leverage AI Chatbots for Superior Security Data Handling

Introduction

Cyberattacks are becoming more frequent – and more dangerous.  VikingCloud’s 2024 Cyber Threat Landscape Report details that the frequency and severity of threats have grown +49% and +43%, respectively.  No business sector is safe.  However, the fast-paced Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) and retail environments are among the most at-risk.  In fact, hospitality-related companies, like QSRs, reported much higher levels of threat frequency (+57%) and severity (+47%).

And those are just the attacks that have been reported. VikingCloud’s 2024 Cyber Threat Landscape Report also revealed that 40% of cyber teams have purposefully not reported cyber incidents because they were worried about losing their job.

The more threats and attacks on a company, the more security data created for front-line cyber professionals.  For CIOs and IT leaders, the challenge lies in not only collecting this data, but also making sense of it in a way that’s actionable and beneficial – in near real time.

This blog explores best practices for managing cybersecurity information, drawing specifically on the capabilities of advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots¹ to streamline and enhance security operations by facilitating “human” conversations with cybersecurity digital devices and data.

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The Challenge: Overwhelming Security Data

The primary challenge for many QSR and retail organizations is handling the massive amounts of security data generated by various systems. Firewalls, intrusion detection systems, antivirus software, and other security tools produce continuous streams of logs, alerts, and reports. Understanding and acting on this information is critical, but often overwhelming. According to IDC, the global datasphere is expected to reach 175 zettabytes by 2025, with a significant portion attributed to security data.

This influx of data creates an environment where IT teams are constantly bombarded with information that requires immediate attention and analysis. The sheer volume of data can lead to information overload and alert fatigue, making it difficult to distinguish between benign activities and genuine security threats.

In fact, VikingCloud’s 2024 Cyber Threat Landscape Report uncovered that 33% of companies were late to respond to cyberattacks because they were dealing with a false positive. What’s more: 68% of companies surveyed would not be able to meet the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) new disclosure rule benchmarking incident reporting within 4-days.

Moreover, the complexity of this data demands a high level of expertise to interpret and respond to potential security incidents effectively. In many cases, organizations struggle to keep up with the pace at which threats evolve, which can result in delayed responses and increased vulnerability. Without robust systems and processes to manage this data efficiently, businesses risk missing critical alerts and failing to address security breaches promptly, potentially leading to significant financial and reputational damage. A quality chatbot can meet those demands.

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Centralize Data Collection

A recent study by Dynatrace showed that 97% of technical leaders can’t handle data overload with traditional AI operations. Centralizing data collection efforts is a foundational step. Using a chatbot to aggregate logs and alerts from all your security tools simplifies data management and allows for easier analysis and correlation of events across your network. This central repository not only simplifies data management, but also enhances the ability to detect and respond to threats quickly.

By employing a chatbot for centralizing data collection, organizations can significantly improve their security posture through a unified view of their network’s health and potential vulnerabilities. Chatbots can provide real-time monitoring and historical analysis, helping identify patterns and trends that could indicate a security breach or an ongoing attack. Furthermore, chatbots can facilitate more efficient compliance reporting by storing all relevant logs and alerts in one place, making it easier to meet regulatory requirements. This holistic approach to data management reduces the chances of critical threats being overlooked and enhances collaboration among IT and security teams by providing a single source of truth.

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Automate Analysis and Response

Automation is crucial for managing large volumes of cybersecurity data. Implementing chatbots for data collection, analysis, and response can significantly reduce the burden on human analysts. Chatbots, powered by machine learning algorithms, can identify patterns and anomalies that may indicate security threats, increasing the speed and accuracy of threat detection while freeing up IT staff to focus on strategic tasks.

Chatbots can interact with various security tools to gather and process data in real-time, providing immediate insights and recommendations. ISACA’s State of Cybersecurity report indicates that 62% of organizations have unfilled cybersecurity positions, emphasizing the importance of automation, particularly chatbots, in addressing the skills gap. By leveraging chatbots, organizations can enhance their cybersecurity efforts, ensuring that potential threats are promptly identified and addressed, even in the absence of extensive human resources.

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Implement User-Friendly Dashboards

Dashboards that present key security metrics in an easy-to-understand format are essential. Visual representations of data help non-experts quickly grasp the state of your security posture. Quality chatbots can enhance this experience by delivering real-time data insights and interacting with the dashboard to provide deeper analysis upon request. Customizable dashboards combined with chatbot integration highlight the most relevant information for different stakeholders, providing a clear overview of security status and enhancing decision-making capabilities. According to Gartner, by 2025, 60% of organizations will use cybersecurity risk as a primary determinant in conducting third-party transactions and business engagements, underscoring the need for accessible security insights.

Incorporating chatbots into your dashboard systems allows users to query specific data points directly, receive immediate explanations, and obtain actionable recommendations. This makes complex security data more accessible and actionable for non-technical users, ensuring that all levels of the organization can understand and respond to security threats effectively. The ability of chatbots to process natural language queries and deliver concise, relevant information empowers users to make informed decisions quickly, further enhancing the overall security posture of the organization.

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Addressing Event Fatigue

Event fatigue occurs when IT staff are overwhelmed by the volume of security alerts, leading to missed threats and burnout. This occurs largely due to the previously mentioned false-positive data in VikingCloud’s 2024 Cyber Threat Landscape Report. Fine-tuning security tools to reduce false positives and ensure alerts are meaningful is essential. Integrating chatbots can significantly aid in this process by automatically filtering and prioritizing alerts, thus reducing the noise and ensuring that only critical incidents receive immediate attention. Implementing incident response playbooks with chatbots providing clear, step-by-step instructions for handling different types of security incidents can also streamline responses. The use of AI-powered chatbots to assist with incident triage further alleviates the burden on IT staff, ensuring that significant threats are addressed promptly.

Chatbots also play a crucial role in maintaining a continuous learning environment by providing real-time training and guidance to IT staff during incidents. They can simulate potential security breaches and guide employees through the correct response procedures, reinforcing learning and preparedness. Moreover, chatbots can keep track of incident history and analytics, offering insights into recurring issues and areas that need improvement.

By providing a consistent and efficient method for managing alerts and incidents, chatbots help reduce the mental load on IT teams, allowing them to focus on proactive security measures rather than being constantly reactive. This proactive approach not only enhances overall security but also improves job satisfaction and reduces burnout among IT professionals, creating a more resilient and effective cybersecurity workforce.

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THOR AI as a Solution

VikingCloud’s announced THOR AI development shows how advanced chatbots will be used by all customers to improve their cybersecurity – regardless of their level of technical expertise.

THOR AI is designed to reduce information overload and find potential online threats that human analysts might miss due to alert fatigue – and that legacy cybersecurity tools might not stop.  The chatbot’s patent-pending persona-based communications will customize the level of answer detail, complexity, and vocabulary used in responses and recommendations by accurately identifying the level of cybersecurity expertise of individual users, from non-existent to CISO-level capabilities – making the solution highly-adoptable, easy-to-use, and effective in mitigating cyber risks.  

VikingCloud’s chatbot solution will bring much needed “always-on” cybersecurity resources to customers – helping to close their resource gap because they’re too small to hire dedicated cybersecurity expertise or just can’t find and hire enough talent because of the global skills shortage.

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¹ Chatbot Definition: A chatbot is a computer program designed to simulate and process human conversation, enabling users to interact with digital devices as if communicating with a person. Chatbots range from basic programs that provide single-line responses to complex digital assistants that learn and evolve, offering personalized interactions as they gather more information.