Fortinet’s Jim Richberg: AI, Automation, Machine Learning Could Aid Agencies’ Cybersecurity Efforts

Jim Richberg, field chief information security officer at Fortinet, wrote in a guest piece published Wednesday on GCN that government CISOs with limited budget resources and staff should leverage artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation to accelerate detection and response to cyber attacks.

“These technologies will help close gaps by correlating threat intelligence and coordinating responses at machine speed,” he wrote. “Government agencies will be able to develop a self-defending security system capable of analyzing large volumes of data, detecting threats, reconfiguring devices and responding to threats without human intervention.”

Federal agencies should replace their siloed systems with a unified platform that could provide rapid response and wider network visibility. Richberg said automation and AI technologies could make that platform a reality.

He discussed how AI-based platforms could help detect anomalous behavior and free up security teams to focus on higher-level tasks. He also called on information technology managers to ensure that automation and AI systems they plan to field are “powered by best-in-class threat intelligence, security research and analytics technology.”