MEHLIKA ERCAN
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS AND CYBERSECURITY by Mehlika Ercan, Cyber Security Analyst
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS AND CYBERSECURITY
in these sectors. Artificial intelligence is proving a valuable tool to supplement these limited resources.
It is a fact that, with the development and spread of information technologies in recent years, malicious
WHAT IS AN ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK?
software that threatens information systems has
Artificial intelligence mimics the human brain’s
increased and become more diverse. Having a
functionality and connectivity. The human brain
flexible and multi-layered security strategy is critical
consists of neurons with dendrites and axons.
to preventing damage to company networks, but
Dendrites bring information to the cell body and
damage to healthcare or nuclear systems can have
information passes through the axon. The information
more dangerous consequences. In the past cyber
is then transferred to the dendrites of another neuron
attacks have been prevented before they caused
at the synapse, which is a small gap between the
major catastrophes. However, today’s cyber criminals
axon of one neuron and the dendrites of the other
are not merely stealing data or cause overt damage:
neuron.
their focus is on data manipulation, a form of cyber attack that can be more destructive and more deadly.
Artificial neural networks (ANN) are comprised of node layers that have an input layer, one or
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There are insufficient people with the experience
more hidden layers, and an output layer. There are
and skills to ensure the confidentiality and integrity
connection between nodes, or artificial neurons, and
of critical infrastructure systems, networks and data
each has an associated weight and threshold. To
W O M E N I N S E C U R I T Y M A G A Z I N E
N O V E M B E R • D E C E M B E R 2022