The US elections are just around the corner – it’s time to prepare for the Internet | Insurance business America
“I don’t think governments have even become aware of the danger.”
The year 2024 may be young, but it is already shaping up to be a monumental year of national elections on the world stage. Around the world, citizens from over 80 countries will exercise their right to vote, including Mexico, South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India and of course the United States.
With geopolitical risks still increasing, it is no secret that this year’s elections, particularly in the United States, will require scrutiny. While state-sponsored cyberattacks typically target government entities and critical infrastructure, the potential for collateral attacks is also an ongoing concern for businesses. Additionally, the ability of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate misinformation at an unprecedented scale and speed and spread, significant consequences.
Jake Hernandez (pictured above, left), CEO of AnotherDay, a Gallagher firm that specializes in crisis and intelligence consulting, described 2024 as “the biggest” in electoral history, a year that is extremely vulnerable to the threat posed by extremely powerful technologies.
“Over two billion people are expected to vote,” Hernandez said. “And the problem with that, especially now that we’ve made this quantum leap in AI, is that technology to spread disinformation and distrust at the nation-state level is now available to pretty much everyone.”
Drawing lessons from the 2016 election
Hernandez recalled the issues surrounding the 2016 US election, noting that there had been a change in the way “online trolling” had evolved. While back then it revolved around organizations like the Internet Research Agency in St. Petersburg, in today’s climate there is no need for such centers as AI has taken over the “trolling” role.
“So the potential is absolutely there for it to get much worse unless very proactive measures are taken to deal with it,” Hernandez explained. “I don’t think governments have even become aware of the danger.
“AI makes it possible to personalize messages and influence potential voters on a massive scale, further eroding trust and having the potential to really undermine the functioning of democracy, which is very dangerous indeed.”
This year’s Global Risks Report from the World Economic Forum highlights the problem as follows: “Increasing concerns about misinformation and disinformation are largely due to the threat of malicious actors using AI to flood global information systems with fabricated narratives.” This is an opinion that which AnotherDay shares.
AnotherDay’s Intelligence Director Laura Hawkes (pictured above right) explained the impact of the 2016 election, saying it was the first instance in which misinformation and disinformation had been used effectively in election campaigns.
“Now that it has been tried and tested and the tools have been sharpened for certain types of players, it is likely that we will see it again,” Hawkes said. “Regulation of technology companies will be crucial.”
The spread of disinformation undermines trust
The spread of misinformation and disinformation poses significant risks to the corporate landscape and influences a range of outcomes, from election results to public trust in institutions.
AnotherDay notes that manipulation of information, particularly during electoral processes, can have a destabilizing effect on democratic norms and lead to increased polarization. This environment of distrust extends beyond the public sector and also impacts perceptions and governance in the private sector.
Furthermore, the spread of false information can lead to different regulatory responses. Populist governments may favor deregulation, which, while potentially reducing bureaucratic hurdles for businesses, can also lead to significant volatility in the market.
Such shifts in governance and regulatory approaches highlight the challenges companies face as they navigate an increasingly disinformation-driven environment.
From the perspective of the economy and the population, this also means a lot more uncertainty, explained Hawkes.
“The emergence of AI will impact at least some elections,” she said. “AI means content can be made cheaper and produced at scale. This causes the public and companies to lose trust in what is being put out there.”
Prepare for cyber threats – especially AI-driven ones
AnotherDay explained that companies that want to strengthen their cyber defenses must begin by pinpointing potential threats, understanding attackers’ motivations and determining the direction of the threat.
A critical part of this strategy, the company explained, is identifying the tactics used by hackers, which informs the development of an effective defense strategy that includes both technological solutions and employee awareness.
Recent advances in cybersecurity research and development have led to the emergence of new security automation platforms and technologies. These innovations are capable of continuously monitoring systems to identify vulnerabilities and notify necessary parties of detected suspicious activity. Services like penetration testing are evolving and increasingly using generative AI technology to improve the detection of anomalous behavior.
Despite implementing sophisticated data security policies and systems, the human factor often remains a weak link in cybersecurity defenses. To combat this problem, there is increasing emphasis on the importance of employee training and promoting cybersecurity awareness as critical measures against cyber threats.
Cybersecurity professionals are increasingly adopting security approaches such as zero trust, network segmentation and network virtualization to reduce the risk of human error. The Zero Trust model is based on the principle of “Never Trust, Always Verify,” which requires verification of identity and devices at every access point, adding an additional layer of security to protect the company’s assets from cyber threats.
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2024-02-16 15:23:54
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