Microsoft 2024 Digital Defence Report has revealed an alarming rise in cyber attacks, with incidents targeting customers globally, doubling to 600 million per day.
The Commercial Solution Area Director, Microsoft, South Africa Mr Colin Baumgart, made this known on Wednesday during his presentation at the virtual Microsoft Africa AI Journalist Academy.
Baumgart’s presentation was titled: “Cybersecurity in the era of AI’’.
Baumgart said that the report reveals the growing collaboration between state actors and cybercriminals.
According to him, over 78 trillion security signals are received per day from the cloud, endpoints, software tools and partner ecosystem informing and helping to understand and protect against digital threats and criminal cyber activity.
He pointed out that data breaches have also been rampant, with TechCrunch reporting over one billion stolen records in 2024 alone.
‘”These breaches have not only compromised personal information but have also emboldened criminals who profit from cyber attacks.
‘’As the threats evolve, so must the strategies to combat them, requiring a concerted effort from individuals, organisations, and governments alike.
‘’This collaborative effort is vital because cyber threats do not recognise boundaries and could ripple through networks, affecting countless users.”
Baumgart maintained that through collaborations and partnerships, there are contributions to a broader security ecosystem sharing threat intelligence and best practices.
He said that it is recognised that the path to a secure future is faced with challenges and opportunities alike, adding that the same technology that empowers could also empower adversaries.
According to him, cybercriminals are increasingly utilising AI to launch more sophisticated attacks, bypass traditional defences, and automate their malicious activities.
The Director said that this escalation necessitates a continuous evolution of Microsoft security strategies to stay ahead of these AI-generated threats.
Baumgart said that as the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve, the partnership between AI and human expertise becomes increasingly important.
He said that AI could handle the heavy lifting of data analysis but human judgment is irreplaceable when it comes to nuanced decision-making.
