Spooky Cyber Stats And Trends In Time For Halloween
FORBES Contributor
Global Thought Leader in Cybersecurity and Emerging Tech
Spooky Cyber Stats and Trends in Time for Halloween
Every year the stats on cyber-attacks seem to get spookier! As we finish October’s Cybersecurity Awareness month, it is a suitable time to review some of the key statistics and trends that can haunt us and help us meet the cybersecurity challenges of the evolving digital ecosystem. There are so many frightening cyber stats that I had room for only a few categories, but they are important ones to know.
The healthcare industry is a continuing prime target for criminal hackers. Consider these realities:
Two-thirds of healthcare organizations hit by ransomware in past year: survey
Two-thirds of healthcare organizations hit by ransomware in past year: survey | Healthcare Dive
“Nearly 40% of healthcare organizations reported it took more than a month to recover after an attack, according to the survey by cybersecurity firm Sophos. The healthcare sector’s increased burden of ransomware attacks comes as other industries face fewer incidents, according to the survey by cybersecurity firm Sophos. Recovery from ransomware attacks is taking longer — sometimes more than a month — as attacks increase against the healthcare industry, About two-thirds of respondents said they were hit by a ransomware attack in the past year, up from 60% the year prior. Just 34% said they were hit by a ransomware attack in Sophos’ 2021 report.”
14M patients affected by healthcare data breaches in 2024
Healthcare organizations remain top targets for cyberthreat actors, according to a SonicWall threat brief that explored trends in healthcare data breaches.14M patients affected by healthcare data breaches in 2024 | TechTarget
“At least 14 million patients in the U.S. have been affected by healthcare data breaches in 2024 so far, a threat brief by cybersecurity company SonicWall revealed. What's more, 91% of the healthcare data breaches that SonicWall researchers analyzed involved ransomware, highlighting the continued targeting of the U.S. healthcare sector. SonicWall based its report on data from SonicWall Capture Labs, which uses machine learning to collect and retain data about attack vectors and threats in real time. The researchers concluded that healthcare remains a top target for exploitation by cyberthreat actors due to its data-driven nature and reliance on sensitive data.”
Change Healthcare data breach officially affects 100M
Change Healthcare data breach officially affects 100M | Healthcare Dive
“The massive Change Healthcare cyberattack could have compromised data from 100 million people — the largest healthcare data breach ever reported to federal regulators. Responding to the cyberattack has cost UnitedHealth too. Earlier this month, the healthcare giant said it has recorded $2.5 billion in total impacts from the attack through the nine months ended Sept. 30, including $1.7 billion in direct response costs.”
CB Take: The cyber-attack on Change Healthcare is certainly alarming and is another wake-up call. It is not surprising that hackers focus on healthcare. As computers and other devices used for medical care become more networked and linked, the digital world of health management, clinics, hospitals, and patients has become more vulnerable. A more comprehensive approach to healthcare cybersecurity should include better risk management, more investments in cybersecurity to protect systems, and good cyber hygiene.
Dmitry Raidman, CTO & Co-founder, of the company Cybeats offers excellent advice: “Given its critical nature and unique vulnerabilities, the healthcare sector must adopt a multi-layered approach to combat the rise in ransomware attacks. This means strengthening security through continuous network segmentation, deploying endpoint detection, and enhancing user training, as healthcare systems are only as resilient as their most vulnerable points. A proactive, risk-based approach that includes frequent vulnerability assessments and comprehensive data backups is essential to ensure both operational continuity and patient safety. Collaboration with industry stakeholders and sharing threat intelligence can also provide the healthcare sector with a stronger front against these growing cyber threats."
Ransomware, especially popular for extorting healthcare, has also been deployed across industries and significantly elevated incidents.
Ransomware incidents rose 73% globally in 2023, report shows
Ransomware incidents rose 73% globally in 2023, report shows | StateScoop
“Ransomware attacks rose 73% between 2022 and 2023, according a report published Thursday by the Ransomware Task Force, part of the Institute for Security Technology, a Washington D.C. think tank. The annual report, which includes a map of global ransomware incidents and identifies ransomware trends based on reporting of double-extortion attacks — in which cybercriminals demand ransom payments from victims to keep their data private and off the dark web — found there were 6,670 ransomware incidents in 2023, with more than 2,800 incidents just in the United States.”
Ransomware Will Strike Every 2 Seconds By 2031
https://cybersecurityventures.com/ransomware-will-strike-every-2-seconds-by-2031/
“Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that by 2031, ransomware will cost victims $265 billion annually, and it will attack a business, consumer, or device every 2 seconds. Chief information security officers and cybersecurity teams are devoting more time than ever protecting against ransomware. Ransomware gangs are, in almost every case, financially motivated. These cybercriminals will stop at nothing to be paid — whether this means locking up your personal information or grinding the operations of a Fortune 500 company to a halt.”
The 2023 RTF Global Ransomware Incident Map
“The 2023 RTF Global Ransomware Incident Map presents the task force’s annual map of ransomware incidents and identifies ransomware trends worldwide. In 2023, the data showed 6,670 ransomware incidents, a 73% year-over-year increase from 2022. This increase is consistent with other recently published findings, which demonstrate an overall increase in ransomware activity and illicit cryptocurrency payments. For example, the FBI Internet Crime Center (IC3) reported over 2,825 complaints from the American public alone. According to Chainalysis, ransomware payments broke a new record, totaling over $1 billion in 2023.”
CB Take: Due to the substantial number of easy targets, ransomware will continue to be a devastating threat. A world that is becoming more hyper-connected affects every part of our lives. Maintaining and safeguarding data is an important security requirement for all businesses and organizations. Knowledge of and skill with ransomware can assist in solving numerous safety issues. Cyber hygiene is particularly important as strong passwords, multifactor authentication, and phishing awareness training make a company less of a target. New cybersecurity technologies, tools, and standards can help slow down the staggering rise in ransomware attacks. Actively protecting systems, networks, and devices are essential to make them more resilient
While the healthcare, financial, and educational industries are always prime targets for breaches, no industry or sector is immune. One area to watch is the legal community as they possess valuable and confidential data of clients.
Over one million law firm passwords found on dark web
Over one million law firm passwords found on dark web - Legal Cheek
“New research has uncovered more than a million passwords linked to the IT systems of UK law firms on the dark web. Researchers found that nearly three-quarters (72.2%) of the 5,140 law firms audited had employee username and password combinations that appeared in lists circulating in the darkest corners of the internet. A total of 1,001,313 passwords were discovered, averaging 195 password combinations per firm or 1.27 per individual staff member. Atlas Cloud, the IT outfit that conducted the research, warns that cybercriminals could use this information to infiltrate a firm’s IT systems, potentially gaining access to valuable data or intercepting transactions.
Last autumn, before its merger with Shearman, Allen & Overy confirmed that it had “experienced a data incident affecting a small number of storage servers” after reportedly being targeted by a hacking group with ransomware. Similarly, in 2017, Legal Cheek reported that hackers had taken DLA Piper‘s computer systems and phones offline using malicious software.”
Outside Cybersecurity Subject Matter Expertise Needed!
Nearly 9 in 10 Companies Hiring Outside Cybersecurity Advisers
“87% of companies bring in outside cybersecurity advisers, 72% list cybersecurity as desired board skill
Companies are dramatically increasing their use of external cybersecurity advisers, with 87% now engaging outside experts compared to 43% in 2023, according to new research from EY’s Center for Board Matters. The surge comes as cyber threats grow more sophisticated, with FBI data showing a 10% increase in complaints and a 22% rise in losses to $12.5 billion annually.”
CB Take: Law firms should think about getting help from subject matter experts (SMEs) who know about the newest technologies and compliance/governance rules in the cyber ecosystem. This is because new threats and technology problems pose a higher risk to their clients' money and reputation. SMEs for the legal community are especially important because the cyber danger comes from both criminal organizations and countries that are at odds with each other. Because of a change in the cyber risk environment, more money is being spent on threat awareness and sharing information, which is important for businesses to stay open. SMEs are a particularly important part of figuring out the danger landscape and finding weaknesses.
According to Enoch Long, Field CISO for Jupiter One “Cybersecurity SMEs can build a risk management cybersecurity strategy for law firms. The framework can also be utilized for compliance, (GDPR expertise), and other regulatory issues related to policy and industry specializations. An SME can help bolster the internal IT security team of a law firm, recommending potential technological solutions and protocols depending on budgets and needs. As the threats and cost of breaches continue to escalate in the legal profession landscape, getting outside help is a sensible option.
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence
This is a particularly frightening statistic, as identity fraud is now being significantly enabled by generative artificial intelligence tools:
Deepfake Fraud Doubles Down: 49% of Businesses Now Hit by Audio and Video Scams, Regula’s Survey Reveals
“In 2024, every second business globally reported incidents of deepfake fraud, revealing a growing trend in AI-related crimes over the past two years. Meanwhile, fraud involving fake or modified documents now outpaces AI-generated scams. These are the first findings from a new survey* “The Deepfake Trends 2024” commissioned by Regula, a global developer of forensic devices and identity verification solutions.
Regula’s survey data shows a significant rise in the prevalence of video deepfakes, with a 20% increase in companies reporting incidents compared to 2022**. While 29% of fraud decision-makers across Australia, France, Germany, Mexico, Turkey, UAE, UK, and the USA reported encountering video deepfake fraud in 2022, this year’s data — covering the USA, UAE, Mexico, Singapore, and Germany — shows this figure has surged to 49%. This sharp increase across the revised cohort underscores the growing challenge of video deepfakes and their continued threat to businesses. Audio deepfakes are also on the rise, with a 12% increase compared to 2022 survey data.”
AI impersonation emerges as top cyber threat in new report
AI impersonation emerges as top cyber threat in new report
“New research from Teleport reveals that AI impersonation now ranks as the most challenging cyber-attack vector for security experts to defend against, as indicated by 52% of senior leaders surveyed. The 2024 State of Infrastructure Access Security Report issued by Teleport highlights the growing complexity of social engineering techniques, with AI and deepfakes substantially enhancing the effectiveness of phishing scams.
CB Take: Identity theft is a logical target of hackers using AI tools. We have been anticipating artificial intelligence's arrival and AI is becoming mainstream. Machine learning and natural language processing, which are already commonplace in our daily lives, contributed to the creation of AI. Criminal hackers are automating more of their phishing attacks with artificial intelligence and exponentially reaching many more businesses, agencies, and consumers. Generative AI makes it easy for anyone to become a hacker. Advances in technology have rendered phishing more accessible to cybercriminals. They have easy access to digital images for creating deep fake, and social engineering data to make it more viable. Hackers often combine spear-phishing, a technique they use to target executives at companies or organizations, with ransomware. Throughout its two-decade history, ransomware has grown in popularity because it makes it simpler for hackers to collect money via cryptocurrency.
Emerging Technologies Are Impacting Cybersecurity
Inside Cyber by Chuck Brooks: Reviewed - Irish Tech News
https://irishtechnews.ie/inside-cyber-by-chuck-brooks-reviewed/
“Inside Cyber, by Chuck Brooks, takes complex ideas about emerging technologies and provides a simplistic explanation of the technology. Brooks takes technology such as quantum computing, 5G, and Artificial Intelligence, and explains the positives and negatives of these new technologies.
We live in a world that seems like it is changing by the day. Keeping up with the times and understanding all of the innovative technology around us can seem like an impossible task, especially as it affects our daily lives. Just a few years ago, artificial intelligence was considered to exist only in sci-fi movies. Cellular speeds are coming close to rivaling Wi-Fi as global satellite communication nears. Countries are scrambling as they prepare for the looming threat of cyber-attacks aided by AI. These modern technologies will forever change the way the world operates. This book dives into what may seem like an existential threat, providing necessary steps to remain safe and secure.”
Generative AI in Security: Risks and Mitigation Strategies
Generative AI in Security: Risks and Mitigation Strategies
“Security teams must balance the risks and benefits of AI. Microsoft’s Siva Sundaramoorthy provides a blueprint for how common cyber precautions apply to generative AI deployed in and around security systems. Pain points security teams should be aware of around AI include:
· The integration of new technology or design decisions introduces vulnerabilities.
· Users must be trained to adapt to new AI capabilities.
· Sensitive data access and processing with AI systems creates new risks.
· Transparency and control must be established and maintained throughout the AI’s lifecycle.
· The AI supply chain can introduce vulnerable or malicious code.
· The absence of established compliance standards and the rapid evolution of best practices make it unclear how to secure AI effectively.
· Leaders must establish a trusted pathway to generative AI-integrated applications from the top down.
· AI introduces unique and poorly understood challenges, such as hallucinations.
· The ROI of AI has not yet been proven in the real world.”
CB Take: We are currently in a disruptive era of technological advancement labeled The Fourth Industrial Era. It is characterized by exponential connectivity of people and devices and involves the meshing of physical, digital, and biological worlds. This includes a multitude of innovative technologies (among others) such as artificial intelligence (AI) & machine learning (ML), robotics, sensors, 5G nanotechnologies, biotech, blockchain, and quantum.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is one to watch as it is a highly intriguing subset of emerging technologies. Science fiction no longer exists in the realm of AI. These days, AI can comprehend, diagnose, and resolve issues from organized and unstructured data, sometimes even without special programming. Although AI can be a useful instrument for cyber defense, threat actors may also take advantage. Malicious hackers are using AI to find and exploit threat detection model weaknesses. Malicious malware can also be distributed using artificial intelligence and machine intelligence to automate target selection, inspect compromised environments before launching further assault stages, and prevent detection.
Quantum technology, especially quantum computing, has immense potential that could change many fields, such as communications, real-time data analytics, biotech, genetic sequencing, and materials science. With its effects on artificial intelligence and the Metaverse, quantum computing will also speed us into the future. But with the good, we need to plan for and stop the bad, especially when it comes to data, which is the lifeblood of industry and trade. Starting right now, it is important to go down a road toward quantum-proof cybersecurity. For more on emerging tech, please also check out my recent FORBES article Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, and Space are 3 Tech areas to Watch in 2024
As an additional thought, avoid hackers' tricks by being cyber aware and practicing good cyber hygiene this Halloween and beyond. Be prepared and vigilant!
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Keep Your Manufacturing Operations Safe with This Cybersecurity Checklist
From zero trust to security by design, this checklist will help you customize a strategy that fits your business.
by Chuck Brooks, President and Consultant, Brooks Consulting International
Keep Your Manufacturing Operations Safe with This Cybersecurity Checklist
The manufacturing sector is a prime target for hackers. These organizations tend to lack expertise and investment in cybersecurity, carry vulnerabilities in their supply chains, favor productivity over security, and maintain a low level of cyber preparedness compared to other industry sectors, making them not just a prime target but also ripe for breaching.
The data tells this story well–Statista found that in 2023 there were 259 cases of data compromise in the manufacturing and utilities industry in the United States and that the cases registered in 2022 impacted 23.9 million people. Furthermore, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF), cyber-attacks on the manufacturing industry accounted for 25.7% of all attacks, with ransomware involved in 71% of these incidents. As a result of attacks costing 125% more each year, cyber risk is now seen as the third biggest outside risk to manufacturers.
The WEF also noted that cyber-attacks on the industry were caused by long production cycles, the large amounts of investment capital needed to redesign production lines, and the lack of cyber-security resilience. The WEF provided an example of a hacker attacking a German battery company’s IT system in February 2024, which caused production to stop at five plants for more than two weeks.
Last year, manufacturing giant Clorox experienced a cyber-attack that ended up costing the company $356 million, in addition to a big drop in their stock price. Also last year, the manufacturing company Brunswick Corporation suffered a cyber-attack that disrupted operations for 9 days and cost the organization around $85 million. While Clorox and Brunswick are large companies, many smaller and medium-sized manufacturers experienced similar fates.
The rise in breaches is not surprising, given the pace of industrial digitization. Already, most physical security systems are linked to IT networks and changing cloud infrastructure and, as industrial hardware and software become more integrated and more IT sensors are connected to the internet, hackers are finding new ways to get into all kinds of digital systems.
A Manufacturing Cybersecurity Checklist
To protect themselves from this ever-expanding field of threats, manufacturers must adopt a robust cybersecurity plan that fits within their production and security environments. There are many approaches for a risk management framework and no one-size-fits-all solution, so this plan development takes some work.
To help, I have composed a checklist of major concerns and considerations to help you on your way:
- Identify, define, and monitor the company’s threat environment. Use an established manufacturing cybersecurity risk management framework that draws on industry experience and best practices, such as those provided by NIST
- Conduct a comprehensive Zero Trust vulnerability assessment of all devices (and people) connected to the network
- Evaluate and set policies with all connected to manufacturing supply chains
- Make sure security architectures (cloud, hybrid cloud, are fully updated and monitored)
- Update and patch vulnerabilities to both networks and devices
- Control and management of access and identity, including biometrics (Zero Trust goals). Use strong authentication and perhaps biometrics for access control and establish privileged access for device controls and applications
- Secure framework layers via firewalls, antivirus software, payload, network, and any endpoints
- Compartmentalize any connected IoT devices, and stored data on the network to minimize attack surfaces. Add security software, containers, and devices to “digitally fence” networks and devices. Consider network isolation to guard against insider threats, botnets, and malware
- Use the latest real-time horizon and threat scanning data or shared intelligence
- Use encryption (should be quantum resistant, or if possible, quantum-proof)
- Continually audit and use real-time analytics (including predictive analytics). Consider using AI/ML-enabled forensics (network traffic analysis, payload analysis, and endpoint behavior analysis), data analytics, and diagnostics
- Back up all sensitive data from potential breaches or ransomware attacks
- Develop an incident response and resilience plan that can be practiced and instituted
- Implement security awareness training for all employees
Note: NIST has more detailed technical frameworks available for companies in the sector to use, especially for supply chain security.
Zero Trust and Security By Design
The risk management checklist can operate under the security framework themes of both Zero Trust and Security by Design.
Trust frameworks and designs should be used by manufacturing companies to protect their gaps better. In a zero-trust architecture, everything in the network is seen as potentially hostile, so trust is not based on where the network is located, and devices, users, and apps trying to get into the network must be authenticated and given permission.
A Zero Trust model is based on achieving and maintaining the highest level of segmentation and fortification possible. This way, the chances of a breach happening are kept to a minimum, and the damage from a breach is kept to a minimum by stopping lateral movement and escalation.
To keep up with emerging cyberrisks, OT and IT networks need to be planned, updated, and made stronger. “Security By Design,” is a strategy that builds security up front in the planning. This approach for manufacturing can help create flexible systems with practical cyber-fusion to adapt to new threats. Security By Design can also find organizational and system dependencies early in the process to eliminate known risks. As new manufacturing plants expand, and or are created, it makes sense to replace legacy systems with new fortified Security By Design architectures.
About the Author
Chuck Brooks, President and Consultant, Brooks Consulting International
Chuck Brooks serves as President and Consultant of Brooks Consulting International. Chuck also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University in the Cyber Risk Management Program, where he teaches graduate courses on risk management, homeland security, and cybersecurity. Chuck has received numerous global accolades for his work and promotion of cybersecurity. Recently, he was named the top cybersecurity expert to follow on social media, and also as one top cybersecurity leaders for 2024. He has also been named "Cybersecurity Person of the Year" by Cyber Express, Cybersecurity Marketer of the Year, and a "Top 5 Tech Person to Follow" by LinkedIn” where he has 120,000 followers on his profile. Chuck has keynoted dozens of global conferences and written over 350 articles relating to technologies and cybersecurity. As a thought leader, blogger, and event speaker, he has briefed the G20 on energy cybersecurity, The US Embassy to the Holy See and the Vatican on global cybersecurity cooperation. He has served on two National Academy of Science Advisory groups, including one on digitalizing the USAF, and another on securing BioTech. He has also addressed USTRANSCOM on cybersecurity and serves on an industry/government Working group for DHS CISA focused on security space systems. In his career, Chuck has received presidential appointments for executive service by two U.S. presidents and served as the first Director of Legislative Affairs at the DHS Science & Technology Directorate. He served a decade on the Hill for the late Senator Arlen Specter on Capitol Hill on tech and security issues. Chuck has also served in executive roles for companies such as General Dynamics, Rapiscan, and Xerox. Chuck has an MA from the University of Chicago, a BA from DePauw University, and a certificate in International Law from The Hague Academy of International Law.
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Transformative Power: Artificial Intelligence Reshapes Global Society
By Chuck Brooks, Skytop Contributor
Transformative Power: Artificial Intelligence Reshapes Global Society — SKYTOP
The coming years will bring about a digital transformation or convergence that will significantly alter the way we communicate, work, and live. We are entering a new era of dynamic, networked technologies that combine engineering, computational algorithms, and culture on a global scale. Machine learning and artificial intelligence will play a crucial role in this transformation.
The digital ecosystem’s networked computer components, enabled by AI and machine learning, will create a plethora of new opportunities and significantly impact nearly all types of organizations. These combined AI and computer technology capabilities may open up new horizons in various fields, including big data, digital security, robotics, genetic engineering, augmented reality, and quantum computing.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Gartner defines artificial intelligence as “technology that appears to emulate human performance typically by learning, coming to its conclusions, appearing to understand complex content, engaging in natural dialogs with people, enhancing human cognitive performance, or replacing people in the execution of non-routine tasks.”
With the intention of outpacing human speed and constraints, artificial intelligence (AI) systems simulate human characteristics and computational abilities in a computer. Machine learning and natural language processing—two technologies that are now extensively utilized in our daily lives—have helped develop artificial intelligence. With the help of organized and unstructured data, modern AI can comprehend, identify issues, and provide solutions—in certain cases even without the need for professional programming.
Artificial intelligence has the power to fundamentally alter both the economy and cognitive capacities. According to McKinsey & Company, automating knowledge work with intelligent software systems that can carry out knowledge work tasks from unstructured commands might have an economic impact of $5–$7 trillion by 2025. These technologies provide a plethora of fascinating opportunities. AI is “the most important technology that anybody on the planet is working on today,” according to Dave Choplin, chief envisioning officer of Microsoft UK, and research and development spending is a good indicator of future technical advancements. Financial giant Goldman Sachs estimates that by 2025, global investments in AI might total $200 billion.
Computers with artificial intelligence capabilities are made to automate tasks like learning, planning, problem-solving, and speech recognition. By leveraging data to prioritize and take action, these technologies can aid in more effective decision-making, particularly in larger networks with more users and elements. AI-enabled computers are now being developed for a number of fundamental tasks, such as speech recognition, learning and planning, and problem-solving. AI will affect a wide range of enterprises by 2023. According to Gartner, 40% of infrastructure and operations teams in large AI companies are proficient in creating algorithms that aid in problem-solving. AI-augmented automation is already being used by several businesses to increase efficiency.
AI in Medicine
Artificial intelligence is already transforming the healthcare industry by being used to discover novel drugs and evaluate mixtures of substances and procedures that will improve human health and combat illnesses and pandemics. AI was essential in helping medical professionals respond to the pandemic and in the development of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Predictive analytics is one of the most fascinating applications of AI in healthcare. By using past data on a patient’s ailments and treatments, predictive analytics makes predictions about their future depending on their current health or symptoms. This facilitates the decision-making process for medical professionals when treating individuals with chronic illnesses or recurrent medical conditions. For scientific and medical research, the computers developed by Google’s DeepMind AI division—which recently demonstrated the ability to predict millions of protein configurations—would be immensely beneficial.
AI will grow more skilled at diagnosing conditions, creating individualized treatment plans, and forecasting medical results as it develops. Medical professionals will be able to treat patients more expertly in the office, at charitable or religious institutions, and at home with this expertise at their disposal.
Interface Between Human and Computer
The human/computer interface is a fascinating field of AI research that has the potential to improve human memory and cognitive function. Significant scientific progress has already been made in the field of brain/computer connection. Brain mapping and neuromorphic chips are two examples of this. The development of assistive technology that uses implantable sensors to recognize electrical impulses from the brain and use those signals to power external devices has led to the creation of brain-computer interfaces.
It has even been demonstrated that a brain-computer interface is capable of reading thoughts. To detect electrical activity, an electrode plate known as an ECOG is placed in direct contact with the surface of the brain. Professor Brian Brown of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai asserts that patients who received electroconvulsive treatment (ECOG) and were rendered immobile are now able to interact with others through text translation of their ideas.
The promise of human-computer interfaces was summed up in a Frontiers in Science publication that brought together scientists, academics, and organizations. A human brain-machine interface system powered by neural nanorobotics has the potential to significantly improve human intellect and learning capacities, enabling people to conclude that “We can imagine the possibilities of what may come next with the human brain-machine interface.” It may also set new standards for immersive virtual and augmented reality, enabling users to express themselves more fully and richly and to have more profound experiences. All of this is made possible by the instantaneous access to all of the human information stored in the cloud. These developments may help mankind adapt to new difficulties facing the species since they make it possible to leverage evolving artificial intelligence systems as human-augmentation technologies.
Neuromorphic computing is a technique that uses artificial intelligence to facilitate human/computer contact; it may help improve human brain functions, memories, and skills. At a seminar on the future of the globe in 2045, Google futurist Ray Kurzweil declared that processing power will, on average, quadruple every two years and that humans will “expand the scope of our intelligence a billion-fold.”
Connections and the Client’s Experience
AI is also changing the ways that people communicate in our culture. Businesses are already using robotic processing automation (RPA), a type of artificial intelligence, to cut down on manual labor and assist in getting rid of human error for routine tasks. By employing technology to manage monotonous, repetitive tasks, RPA improves service operations by freeing up human expertise for more complicated, higher-level problems. It is scalable and can be modified to satisfy performance requirements. In the private sector, RPA is widely utilized for many different purposes, such as contact centers, medical coding, insurance enrollment and invoicing, and claims processing.
Chatbots, voice assistants, and other messaging apps that leverage conversational AI to fully automate customer support and provide round-the-clock assistance can be advantageous for a variety of sectors.
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Future Medicine: Physics, Biology, And AI Will Transform Human Health
Co-written by Chuck Brooks and Dr. Thomas A. Cellucci, MBA
Future Medicine: Physics, Biology, And AI Will Transform Human Health
Verticals that will be most impacted by innovative developments in technology and science are the disciplines of medicine, biotechnology, and health. Those industry verticals will see a profound growth of technological innovation in the near future.
Twenty years ago, Craig Venter and Daniel Cohen remarked, “If the 20th century was the century of physics, the 21st century will be the century of biology.” Since then, there have been some amazing advances in the fields of biotechnology and bioscience, with the promise of even more astounding breakthroughs to come. Over the past decade, we have seen significant strides in artificial intelligence, with radical long-term implications for every human endeavor. And now the convergence of the fields of physics, biology, and AI promises a far greater impact on humanity than any one of these fields alone. Even though a path to successfully integrating these fields exists, it is neither easy nor clear cut—but if done correctly, will revolutionize medicine and human health.
The Human Genome Project was just the beginning of the journey to find treatments for human diseases. Our genes are merely a codebook for making different proteins. These proteins are the fundamental building blocks for our cell structures and are responsible for their core functions. Understanding the biological processes behind a disease means identifying the specific protein or proteins whose undesirable effects in the body cause that disease. To treat the disease, a therapeutic agent is needed. This is usually given as a pill or an injection and contains active drug molecules that bind to copies of a disease-associated protein and change how they work.
4 key steps associated with finding treatments for human disease are as follows:
1) Figure out which proteins are implicated in the disease
2) Ensure that we can produce those proteins in a form conducive to testing and determine their structures either experimentally or through computer models
3) Find binders to those proteins (these binders are the drug candidates, and this step is the most important)
4) Test those binders first in vitro, then advance the most promising ones to animal tests, and finally select the best ones for clinical trials in humans
Step 1: Identifying Target Proteins
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
There has been tremendous amount of work in labs worldwide over the last three decades to identify the proteins implicated in various diseases. This work will continue into the near future, and AI-driven knowledge graphs can complement and speed up the work of biologists.
To map and characterize all the proteins encoded and produced by the human genome, scientists have embarked on the Human Proteome Project (HPP). So far, HPP has characterized 18,397 out of the estimated 19,778 proteins that make up the human body.[1] However, it is estimated that only 10,248 play roles in human disease.[2] This subset of proteins is what scientists call the “druggable” proteome.
Step 2: Isolating Target Proteins & Determining Their Structure
To verify whether a drug candidate works, it must be tested against a target protein implicated in a disease. Isolating target proteins is important to ensure target proteins are available for testing against drug candidates and for determining their three-dimensional structures. Some proteins are easy to isolate and purify; others can only be produced in conjunction with their associated cellular machinery. Scientists have made tremendous strides in determining the three-dimensional structures of these target proteins through x-ray crystallography and NMR. These structures are freely available for all to use in databases such as the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Now, AI is helping figure out the structures of those proteins for which we have not yet experimentally validated structures.
Step 3: Finding Drug Candidates
The Most Crucial Step
Once the target protein is properly characterized, then begins the truly daunting challenge of searching for drug-like molecules that bind to the protein and effectively intervene in the disease process. All of the work in steps 1 and 2 is for naught if we cannot find drug candidates that bind to the target proteins. So-called small-molecule drugs are the mainstay of modern medicine. Most pharmaceuticals are small molecules. Not only can these low-molecular-weight organic molecules bind to disease-associated proteins outside of cells, but they can also pass through cell membranes to bind to target proteins inside cells. Typically administered orally as shelf-stable drugs, small-molecule pharmaceuticals can be also manufactured and distributed efficiently.
A Challenging Process
The process of finding small-molecule drug candidates primarily relies on trial and error. The isolated and purified protein is tested against a collection of previously synthesized compounds stored in the lab to check for signs of a chemical reaction in the hope of finding a binder. But there is a fundamentally crippling limitation to this approach. Over the past 150 years, humanity has made fewer than 10 million distinct drug-like small-molecule structures, or chemotypes. Yet estimates of the total number of unique drug-like small-molecule chemotypes possible under the rules of chemistry range from a decillion (that is, 1033, or a one followed by 33 zeroes) to a novemdecillion (1060, or a one followed by 60 zeroes).
Drug-Like Molecules
Even if it were possible to magically accelerate the creation of brand-new chemical structures to one per second, it would take more than three septillion (that is, three plus 25 zeros) years to create a decillion chemotypes. That is well over two trillion times the currently estimated age of the universe! In other words, figuring out which small molecules would make viable drugs through brute-force synthesis and testing is an utterly impossible task.
Some companies have turned to AI as a substitute for trial-and-error experimentation. But can AI really help in the field of small-molecule drug discovery? AI only produces solutions similar to the ones for which it has seen examples in the data used to train it. Expecting AI to find drug candidates for which there is no pre-existing data is even more unreasonable than expecting Chat GPT trained exclusively on massive amounts of English webpage text to suddenly construct sentences in perfect Russian. AI will find drug-like molecules similar to the fewer than 10 million chemotypes for which experimental data already exists, but it cannot explore the other decillion+ possibilities. AI trained on existing data cannot unlock the secrets of a decillion unexamined compounds.
What if pharmaceutical companies could design never-before-made molecules on the computer and figure out if they will bind to a target protein without having to actually make the molecule, isolate the protein, and run experiments? We already rely on such technologies every day in other areas. For example, no one erects reduced-scale models of buildings or bridges to see if they will stand before actually constructing them.
But modeling the quantum physics of how a drug molecule binds to a protein in water is a forbiddingly complex challenge. Attempting to model the interaction between a protein with thousands of atoms and a drug-like molecule with hundreds of atoms quickly becomes intractable, exceeding the computing power of even the most advanced computing clouds. To tackle this extreme level of complexity, most simulation-based drug discovery technology companies found that drastic compromises were necessary. These compromises involved crude approximations of physics and computational short cuts. And invariably, these compromises led to gross inaccuracies when modeling molecular interactions.
Are both AI-based and physics-based approaches dead ends? Not quite. Various companies are still trying both approaches. However, reaching sufficient accuracy requires significant fundamental advances in modeling the physics of protein-drug interactions. Pfizer’s former Senior VP of R&D Strategy, Robert Karr, points out that one company, Verseon, has built a seamless platform incorporating propriety advances in physics and AI. In his words, “Verseon's disruptive platform changes how drugs can be discovered and developed, and the company is poised to make a dramatic impact on modern medicine.” After examining the company’s drug-discovery platform, Nobel Laureate Hartmut Michel said, “The fundamental advancements Verseon has made in quantum mechanical modeling of protein-drug interactions are extremely impressive.”
Verseon has built technology to design never-before-made novel drug molecules on the computer. The company’s advances in quantum-physics modeling, which it calls Deep Quantum Modeling™ (DQM™), are sufficiently accurate to determine whether its computationally designed new drug-like molecules will bind to a target protein before making and testing them in the lab. And AI trained on data from these new molecules identified by DQM will help generate more variants from which to pick the best ones for clinical trials.
Step 4: In Vitro, Preclinical, and Clinical Testing
All new drug candidates must still be taken through preclinical and clinical trials to fully establish their safety and effectiveness. This process typically takes years to complete, and process improvements that speed promising new treatments to market would be a welcome boon. AI can help with regulatory documentation. Weave is one example of a company selling solutions that utilize AI to streamline the process of preparing Investigational New Drug regulatory filings (INDs). Preparing INDs is one area that could benefit from automation. The company touts its ability to create INDs faster without sacrificing quality and offers greater control over data organization for IND filings.
Human organoid-based testing during the preclinical process is an emerging technique that can dramatically improve the characterization of how a drug will behave in clinical trials. Organoids are miniature versions of organs in the human body that are generated using adult stem cells. After taking samples from patients and trial volunteers, these lab-grown replicas mimic the function of various organs. Testing drug candidates on organoids can give a lot of clues into how the human body would react to a drug candidate before human trials.
Regulators like the US FDA are tasked with weeding out unsafe and ineffective drug candidates that enter trial pipelines. But it is a process that takes years once drug candidates enter the clinic. The long wait for approval frustrates both companies eager to enter the market with innovative products and patients desperate for a solution to a serious medical condition. The need to accelerate the process is not lost on regulators. The US FDA has set up processes such as Fast Track and Breakthrough Therapy designations to accelerate the clinical trial process for novel drugs that show uniquely desirable therapeutic properties.
The Implications of Using Advances in Physics, Biology, and AI to Their Full Potential
Assuming the pharmaceutical development ecosystem takes full advantage and coordinates the use of advances like those described above, what could medicine achieve?
Adityo Prakash and Tom Cellucci point out some of the implications in their recent article appearing in Homeland Security Today. They approach the subject from the perspective of both industry and national security. Adityo Prakash is the CEO of Verseon. He confounded Verseon to change how the world finds new medicines. Tom Cellucci drove America’s nanotechnology agenda under presidents Clinton and George W. Bush, and he served as the US Federal Government's first-ever Chief Commercialization Officer at the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under both the Bush and Obama administrations. Prakash and Cellucci point out that current medicine has so far only uncovered drug candidates that bind 670 of the druggable proteins in the human body. They contend that better methods for finding drug candidates and streamlining required testing will accelerate the march toward being able to address all 10,248 druggable proteins. Once this goal is reached, medicine will be able to intervene with exquisite precision in disease processes that inexorably progress over the human lifespan. Being able to precisely control the entire druggable set of proteins in the human body will also facilitate agile therapeutic development as a first line of defense against new infectious agents that try to enter our cells.
Emerging medical and life science technologies are helping contribute to an inward evolution. Scientists are learning from the exponentially growing data on our health and disease states using data analytics and AI-driven insights generated from such data. They are developing a deeper understanding of the concert of proteins involved in the progression of disease and the best pathways for both treatment and prevention.
Given that most major diseases are associated with aging, regulating the functions of proteins in our bodies will allow medicine to preserve a youthful and disease-free state far longer than is possible today—and eventually even to partially rejuvenate our bodies from the cellular level. These advances may make it possible to turn 80, 90, or even 100 into the new 50. But even before such dramatic increases in human health span happen, progress toward addressing large subsets of the druggable proteome will deliver a steady flow of amazing new drugs. These drugs will treat a great many diseases far better than we can today. Then the 21st century will indeed establish itself as the century of biology.
New Book "Inside Cyber"; a primer/resource for those interested in the impact of emerging tech on security and privacy in our new digital era
Dear Friends and Colleagues, today Ia m celebrating the release of my new book with the promo assistance of my American Eskimo dog. I wrote it to be a primer for those with a layperson background on cybersecurity. It also has some good reference value and insights for those who are more deeply involved with cybersecurity and tech such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, 5G, and IoT. Most of all, it is a book about risk management for our new digital era. I hope you will read it and share feedback! Thanks, and stay safe! Chuck
"Just in time for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Chuck Brooks announces his new book, Inside Cyber: How AI, 5G, and Quantum Computing Will Transform Privacy and Our Security. The book teaches readers how to navigate the intersection of tech, cybersecurity, and commerce.
"The near future that awaits can be characterized as an era of exponential technological change. It is being catalyzed by enhanced information sharing and the merging of physical and digital systems. The disruptive technological change will impact industries including health and medical care, transportation, energy, construction, finance, commerce, and security. Along with industry, the government is acclimating to the new emerging enterprise technology ecosystem and pursuing programmatic innovation. We are in a state of cyber-flux. Many companies and institutions are moving from legacy systems to cloud, hybrid cloud, and edge platforms to consolidate and secure data. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and 5G are creating operational shifts that require new cybersecurity strategies and requirements," says Chuck Brooks. New book tackles the impact of emerging technologies on privacy and cybersecurity | Security Info Watch
Chuck Brooks Debuts Book on Privacy & Cyber Impacts of Emerging Tech
by Charles Lyons-Burt
Cybersecurity, News ,Technology
Chuck Brooks Debuts Book on Privacy & Cyber Impacts of Emerging Tech - GovCon Wire
“Inside Cyber: How AI, 5G, and Quantum Computing Will Transform Privacy and Our Security” by Chuck Brooks is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand and take advantage of the next wave of technological progress. Brooks is a well-known executive and adviser who breaks down complicated technological trends into easy-to-understand insights. He does this by providing a deep look at how modern technologies will change business and society in the future—just in time for Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
Brooks is one ofExecutive Mosaic’s esteemed GovCon Experts, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, a widely recognized thought leader and a subject matter expert for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Space Systems Critical Infrastructure Working Group. We sat down with Brooks ahead of “Inside Cyber’s” Oct. 15 publication to talk about the impetus behind it and why you should check it out. (“Inside Cyber” is available on Amazon now.)
GovConWire: What was the genesis for “Inside Cyber”?
Chuck Brooks: There were several impetuses. I travel and speak globally at conferences. For the past year, artificial intelligence has permeated almost every discussion at events. It is an early topic of the day. Another factor is my course at Georgetown University in the graduate cybersecurity risk management program. Over five years ago I designed a course called “Disruptive Technologies and Organizational Management.” This past year I reviewed the syllabus and had to completely redo the content as the rate of change in technology and in cybersecurity has become almost exponential. My third reason is that I have come to realize that to adapt to the new challenges facing business and security for both security and privacy, there needs to be a resource people can go to explain things in understandable terms. Hence my book!
GCW: What will readers learn as they read your book?
Brooks: They will get clear, easy-to-understand accounts of cutting-edge technologies like AI, blockchain, quantum computing, 5G and Internet of Things, as well as information on how these technologies will impact business operations, efficiency, and security. The reader will discover the ways that fast technological progress can change traditional industries and create new value by learning how to handle the cybersecurity landscape and protect their businesses and personal digital lives against the threats that come with it. I also include a comprehensive risk management strategy for managing cybersecurity risks in the ‘4th Industrial Era.’
People who work in government contracting can also use my book as a guide to make the most of the recent technologies that are changing the sector. I highlighted some of these technologies in a GovCon Expert article. The topics I highlighted in the article included AI, machine learning, cybersecurity, digital transformation, 5G, IoT, quantum and high-performance computing, cloud and edge computing, augmented reality, big data, virtualization, smart cities, wearables, 3D printing and materials science.
GCW: What is your general perspective in the near future for emerging tech and cybersecurity?
Brooks: Rapid technological progress is what the near future holds. Sharing information more easily and combining physical and digital methods are both helping to speed it up. Health and medical care, transportation, energy, building, finance, commerce, and security are just some of the fields that will be affected by the disruptive technological change. Getting used to the new workplace technology ecosystem is something that both businesses and the government are doing. It is like cyber-flux right now. For better data security and to move away from old systems, many businesses and organizations are switching to cloud, hybrid cloud and edge platforms. As innovative technologies like AI, quantum computing and 5G come out, they change how things work, which means that new safety approaches and rules are needed.
GCW: Thank you! Where can readers obtain your book?
Brooks: Readers can order the book from Amazon now. It will be available at Barnes & Noble, Target and other bookstores starting on Oct. 15.
Georgetown Professor Chuck Brooks is the Author of New Book “Inside Cyber How AI, 5G, and Quantum Computing Will Transform Privacy and Our Security”
Discover how to navigate the intersection of tech, cybersecurity, and commerce.
In an era where technological innovation evolves at an exponential rate, Inside Cyber: How AI, 5G, IoT, and Quantum Computing Will Transform Privacy and Our Security by Chuck Brooks emerges as a critical roadmap for understanding and leveraging the next wave of tech advancements. Brooks, a renowned executive and consultant, breaks down complex technological trends into digestible insights, offering a deep dive into how emerging technologies will shape the future of industry and society.
In the book, you’ll:
Gain clear, accessible explanations of cutting-edge technologies such as AI, blockchain, and quantum computing, and their impact on the business world
Learn how to navigate the cybersecurity landscape, safeguarding your business against the vulnerabilities introduced by rapid technological progress
Uncover the opportunities that technological advancements present for disrupting traditional industries and creating new value
Perfect for entrepreneurs, executives, technology professionals, and anyone interested in the intersection of tech and business, Inside Cyber equips you with the knowledge to lead in the digital age. Embrace the future confidently with this indispensable guide
How to Order:
Book link to order on Amazon: https://a.co/d/cAqjml1
The author is available for media interviews and be contacted at: cb1519@georgetown.edu
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