Built-in device security face constraints of limited computational power

As the world becomes more and more weaned on and addicted to frictionless walks on smartphones and devices, AI can become a double-edged sword. Pratik Shah, Managing Director for India and SAARC at F5, shares how best to swing it so that it helps us not to lose the battles that ultimately matter. Excerpts from an interview with Pratima Harigunani:

How serious has AI become as it permeates and pervades more and more devices and smartphones?
Emerging AI-generated threats, including sophisticated phishing scams, deepfake impersonations, and other digital fraud, pose significant challenges to the security of connected devices such as smartphones, personal computers, IoT appliances, and connected vehicles. 

Can devices look at built-in security vs. bolted-on security here?
While built-in security mechanisms are plausible, they face constraints such as limited computational power, battery efficiency, and the constantly changing nature of AI-powered attacks.

“Zero trust architecture ensures that security is seamlessly integrated into every layer of the digital infrastructure, from applications to networks.”

How do you approach security in the AI era? Can Cloud help? How?
There is a need for a multi-layered approach combining device-level and cloud-based security. Devices often rely on cloud platforms for intensive threat detection, where scalable AI and machine learning models analyse and mitigate risks in real-time. Our Distributed Cloud API Security protects interactions between devices and applications, while RASP provides built-in security by detecting and neutralising threats within applications, even on resource-constrained devices. Moreover, solutions like the AI Gateway offloads complex threat detection to the cloud, ensuring robust and adaptive security.

How much can collaboration help?
Built-in security alone is not a standalone solution. We advocate for zero-trust architecture, ensuring security is seamlessly integrated into every layer of your digital infrastructure, from applications to networks, to protect against evolving threats. Collaboration among device manufacturers, security providers, and developers is key to proactively addressing evolving AI-generated threats.

pratimah@cybermedia.co.in