The work of government agencies and local councils is more important than ever before. But with the rise of remote working and digital communications in the era of COVID-19, managing cyber risk has risen to the top of the priority list. But there’s good news. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing everything about cyber security for the better. As Forbes Magazine explains, AI is “the new cybersecurity sheriff”.

1. Identifying Unknown Threats

Hackers launch serious attacks everyday. In fact, ccording to TechRepublic, a midsized company gets alerts for over 200,000 cyber events every day. Their motives are often unknown and can can have a hugely detrimental impact. Their technology and sophisticated malware attacks are often impossible to predict by humans. However AI has proven itself to be one of the best technologies in predicting, mapping and preventing unknown threats from destroying an organisation.

2. Securing Conditional Access

When it comes to the demands of GDPR and data protection, local councils must pay close attention to who has access to what data. AI-powered systems can prescribe and secure conditional access. An secure, real-time, dynamic authentic framework ensures access is only provided to those authorised. And privileges can be based on location or network. This a firm and secure first step in a data protection strategy. 

3. It Can Manage All the Data 

Local councils and government agencies have a huge amount of traffic running across their network on a daily basis. But humans are not equipped to check every facet of this data, instead AI can help detect and highlight any threats masked as normal activity. Its power lies in its automated methodology; it “reads” through large amounts of data and network traffic, identifying threats with precision in an otherwise crowded sea of chaotic data. 

4. Increasing Detection Times

If a local council council or government agency can detect data breaches promptly they’re in a stronger position to prevent irreversible damage. AI can scans an entire system, identifying threats as soon as they arise. AI-based alternatives to cyber security always be quicker and more effective than any manual approach.

5. Considering Natural Language Processing

Another interesting way AI can impact cybersecurity comes in the form of Natural Language Processing (NLP). This refers to a branch of AI that gives computers the ability to understand text and spoken word in similar ways to humans. AI-powered systems can use NLP to scan articles, studies and news sites which explain and outline new cyber threats. This information can empower local councils and government agencies to calculate risks and make modifications to their cybersecurity processes, thereby reducing the threat of an attack. 

Data security represents a real and growing concern for local councils and government agencies. So contact Lateral Technology today to discover how our customised solutions can protect your valuable data from any cyberattacks. Our cyber and data security specialists have an unrivalled breadth of expertise.