Robot hand interacting with a glowing digital globe surrounded by technology and data icons in blue high-tech style.

AI And Cybersecurity

AI and Cybersecurity: What Your Firm Needs to Know

By Brian Butterfield, CISSP
Microtech IT and Cybersecurity Services

AI is changing cybersecurity fast, and the truth is most firms are not sure what that means for them.

Every week we see new claims that artificial intelligence can stop hackers, automate compliance, or eliminate human mistakes overnight. These headlines create excitement, but they also create confusion.

The reality is simpler and more useful. AI is a helpful tool that can make security stronger, but it does not replace people, process, or professional oversight. Understanding what AI does well, and where it has limits, is what helps firms make smart decisions.

Watch the short video Overview

Click play to watch Brian Butterfield, CISSP, break down the essentials.

How AI Helps Security Teams

When used responsibly, AI gives security teams speed and visibility they did not have before.

IBM's 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report found that organizations using AI driven tools detect and contain breaches an average of 108 days faster than those that do not. That time matters.

Top ways AI supports security teams include:

Recognizing unusual activity

AI can look at large amounts of activity and flag patterns that fall outside what is normal for your organization.

Automating alerts and responses

AI helps reduce alert fatigue, send critical alerts to the right place, and automate basic containment steps.

Supporting compliance

AI can identify outdated policies, inactive accounts, and misconfigured cloud settings that create unnecessary risk.

For smaller security teams, these advantages can be significant.

Where AI Falls Short

AI improves efficiency, but it has limitations that matter.

A Forbes analysis noted that AI tools can misinterpret data, generate false positives, or overlook issues if trained on incomplete information. AI is only as reliable as what it learns from.

Another challenge is that attackers are using AI too. According to alerts from the FBI and CISA, cybercriminals now use AI to create highly convincing phishing emails, social engineering messages, and fake invoices.

AI raises defenses, but it also raises the sophistication of attacks. This makes human oversight, staff awareness, and cybersecurity process more important, not less.

Common AI-Related Risks Found During Assessments

Most firms believe they are reasonably protected. Yet during cybersecurity assessments, we often uncover issues that firms were unaware of, such as:

inactive accounts with full access
cloud tools sharing data with third party AI services
outdated filtering that cannot detect AI generated phishing
MFA enforced inconsistently
firewall rules not aligned with modern attack patterns
admin accounts with more access than needed These are quiet risks that do not show symptoms until something goes wrong. If your environment has not been reviewed in the last year, there may be blind spots you cannot see from the inside.

How to Use AI Safely in Your Firm

AI is most effective when paired with strong human oversight.

Use AI to:

analyze logs
highlight unusual activity
help with routine tasks
identify configuration risks

Do not rely on AI to:

make security decisions
interpret risk on its own
access or analyze sensitive client data
replace trained security professionals

Always review AI generated insights with a qualified expert.

Continue regular cybersecurity training so your team stays aware of new AI driven scams.

A Calm, Practical Approach

At Microtech, we use AI to strengthen protection. We do not treat it as a replacement for judgment, process, or expertise.

AI is the co pilot.

Human intelligence is the pilot.

If you want a clearer understanding of your own security posture, we offer a complimentary assessment. It is simple, confidential, and focused on giving you clarity, not pressure. Most firms discover at least one area they did not realize needed attention.

Book your complimentary cybersecurity assessment here: https://www.micro-tech.com/scan