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Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Will AI Replace Cybersecurity? Not Quite—But It's Rewriting The Rules
The Real Battle Is Now AI vs. AI Put yourself in the mind of a master cybercriminal. Fun, right? Stay with me. I promise this role play exercise will pay off. Just a few years ago, your illicit schemes were small time. You were content to steal unwitting individuals' personal data, including credit card and social security numbers to buy merchandise on the Dark Web. Your petty exploits paid off—modestly but steadily. But it was a volume game. You had to keep finding more unsuspecting marks to exploit and more creative ways to turn a profit. Then came AI. You quickly learned all about ChatGPT and other forms of generative artificial intelligence. As you did, you thought: why not use this tech to level up—crime-wise? Armed with new tools you evolved from a petty thief. You developed a budding criminal empire capable of exploiting not just singular victims, but enterprise corporations with billion-dollar balance sheets. After all, that's where the real dough is, right? Welcome to the new age of cyberwarfare—courtesy of AI. 'The stakes have never been higher,' says Ed Vasko, COO of High Wire Networks, a leading global provider of managed cybersecurity services. A seasoned veteran with 33 years' experience, we sat down to discuss the elephant in the room. 'The cyber war has shifted. It no longer wages between hackers and IT departments. It's now AI versus AI.' Vasko is not alone in this assessment. Speaking at DefenseScoop's Google Defense Forum Pentagon last year, military insider Jude Sunderbruch of the Defense Department's Cyber Crime Center warned attendees of future 'AI versus AI conflicts' spreading all the way to the international stage. ''I think we're really just at the start,' Sunderbruch said, later adding that the U.S. and its allies will have to get creative and learn how to best use existing AI systems to gain a leg up on competing intelligence giants like China,' according to Defense One. The implications go beyond boardrooms and command centers. To appreciate what may be coming, Vasko paints a chilling scenario for the not-so-distant future. Time for more role playing. Now imagine you're the head of a major retailer. For the last few years you've relied on AI supply chain forecasting. Similar to how fintech increasingly depends on AI—not humans—to handle the complexities of trading, artificial intelligence is core to your business' operations. Without it, you're flying blind. This reality makes things all the more disturbing when the AI supporting your organization begins behaving erratically, wreaking havoc. Orders stop arriving. Inventory goes out of stock. Even your pricing models collapse. These internal problems don't stay contained for long. They proliferate externally—in dire ways. Once loyal customers defect. Revenues drop up. And your stock price plummets. But that's not all… According to Vasko, cyber criminals behind this type of villainy may be thought of as AI buccaneers—digital pirates often paid to instigate corporate espionage and theft. 'Unlike the antiquated variety from centuries past, AI buccaneers know the power of perception—that it's possible to tank a rival company's stock price by spreading lies to disrupt public sentiment.' To this end, the hits keep on coming for your major retailer company. A video surfaces of your CFO making disturbing comments in a shareholder meeting. The remarks are so inflammatory they go viral, driving your already plummeting stock even lower. But here's the thing. That CFO video is actually a deepfake. It was produced by Google's Veo 3, similar to extant bogus news anchor content already proliferating the Internet. True or not, the damage is done. Within hours, your unscrupulous corporate rivals bask in ignoble victory. Short selling your plunging stock, they make out like bandits—along with their AI buccaneer accomplices, benefitting from your demise. As Vasko explains, 'Cyber criminals can even now use AI co-pilots to coordinate attacks on corporations, industries, even governments. They're faster, smarter, and more dangerous than anything we've seen before.' More on that below. AI co-pilots are but one part of a growing criminal toolkit, capable of automating surveillance, coordinating attacks, and orchestrating malfeasance at scale. What's now possible almost defies belief. Example: AI can analyze thousands of profiles across social media, company directories, and public databases to identify weak links for exploitation. 'Once inside, these same AI tools can poison an organization's internal data lakes—sabotaging predictive systems and decision-making engines from the inside out,' explains Vasko. This means bad actors needn't limit themselves to stealing personal data. They can expand their scope of attack, going so far as to manipulate market outcomes. Per the above cautionary tale, they can influence how a company performs, how it's perceived, and ultimately, what happens to it long-term. Hundreds of years ago, back when pirates plundered by sea, countries ravaged by buccaneers authorized so-called privateers to fight off the bad guys. Unfortunately, the U.S. government doesn't allow proactive 'hacking back' in the form of AI privateers. Not even in self-defense. This is why High Wire Networks and other cybersecurity firms avoid going on the offensive. Instead, they turn to AI-augmented defense platforms to preemptively determine and intercept threats, shifting reactive security into a proactive shield. In other words, they're fighting AI with AI. 'Hyperautomation' is the term Vasko uses to describe the fusion of machine learning and automated decision-making throughout a security stack. In the old model, a cyber victim might be notified of a data breach. 'Dear so and so,' an email might read. 'We regret to inform you that your credit card was compromised.' That's not so helpful, is it? Hyperautomation, on the other hand, reacts proactively. Here's how it could work with the above individual scenario. Alerted of a breach, AI could stop it, issue a new credit card, and continually monitor a victim's credit card and exposure. Many cybersecurity firms employ similar tech at the organizational level. As Cyber Magazine reports, Varonis leverages artificial intelligence to act autonomously as a counterweight to AI-enabled mischief. The company's 'AI Shield' offers real-time ongoing protection for large organizations. 'By integrating real-time risk analysis, automated risk remediation, behavior-based threat detection, and 24/7 alert response, Varonis' AI Shield empowers enterprises to safely use AI technologies while safeguarding sensitive data.' Looking forward, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Once upon a time, swashbuckling pirates patrolled the high seas, pilfering valuables from individuals, companies, and governments alike. Nowadays, that threat has migrated from the physical theatre to cyberspace as criminals wield code to rob and steal at will. To survive, much less thrive, tomorrow's organizations would do well to wrest back the power of AI. Without it? We're surely sunk.
Associated Press
15-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
High Wire Networks – Overwatch Launches Risk-as-a-Service Offering to Help Organizations Stay Ahead of Emerging Cyber Threats
BATAVIA, Ill., April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- High Wire Networks, Inc. (OTCQB: HWNI), a leader in managed cybersecurity services, today announced the launch of Risk-as-a-Service (RaaS), a new professional service offering from its Overwatch cybersecurity division, designed to help organizations continuously identify, analyze, and mitigate cybersecurity risks. Unlike one-time assessments, Overwatch's RaaS is a comprehensive, ongoing program that empowers mid-market and enterprise customers to manage risk proactively. The new service combines ongoing threat detection, regulatory compliance monitoring, and expert-led incident response planning, backed by real-time analytics, to strengthen organizations' cyber resilience without needing a large in-house team. 'Security is not just about risk mitigation and elimination of risk; it's about prioritization. Businesses don't have infinite resources and need to quickly and efficiently figure out which actions deliver maximum value for the effort. Our RaaS offering provides our customers a way to make such decisions quickly and efficiently,' said Kim Jones, High Wire – Overwatch CISO. The Overwatch RaaS Platform Includes: 'Our Risk-as-a-Service model isn't just about delivering another report—it's about delivering ongoing insight, action, and results,' said Ed Vasko, High Wire – Overwatch CEO. 'This is a smarter way to scale risk management in today's threat environment, especially for businesses without the resources to build a full internal risk and compliance team.' RaaS is ideal for small to mid-sized enterprises, government agencies, and large organizations looking to augment their existing programs with continuous protection and expert oversight. Real-world applications include healthcare providers using RaaS to streamline HIPAA compliance or manufacturers maintaining CMMC alignment while managing complex threat landscapes. By leveraging best-in-class tools and partnerships, Overwatch RaaS delivers cost-effective, scalable risk intelligence, empowering customers to make smarter decisions and reduce exposure across the enterprise. About High Wire Networks High Wire Networks, Inc. (OTCQB: HWNI) is a fast-growing, award-winning global provider of managed cybersecurity. Through over 200 channel partners, it delivers trusted managed services for more than 1,100 managed security customers worldwide. End customers include Fortune 500 companies and many of the nation's largest government agencies. Its U.S.-based 24/7 Network Operations Center and Security Operations Center is located in Chicago, Illinois. High Wire was ranked by Frost & Sullivan as a Top 15 Managed Security Service Provider in the Americas for 2024. It was also named to CRN's MSP 500 and Elite 150 lists of the nation's top IT managed service providers for 2023 and 2024. Learn more at Follow the company on X, view its extensive video series on YouTube or connect on LinkedIn. Forward-Looking Statements The above news release contains forward-looking statements. The statements contained in this document that are not statements of historical fact, including but not limited to, statements identified by the use of terms such as 'anticipate,' 'appear,' 'believe,' 'could,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'hope,' 'indicate,' 'intend,' 'likely,' 'may,' 'might,' 'plan,' 'potential,' 'project,' 'seek,' 'should,' 'will,' 'would,' and other variations or negative expressions of these terms, including statements related to expected market trends and the Company's performance, are all 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on assumptions that management believes are reasonable based on currently available information, and include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company and its management. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performances and are subject to a wide range of external factors, uncertainties, business risks, and other risks identified in filings made by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in the company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances upon which any statement is based except as required by applicable law and regulations. High Wire Networks Contact Mark Porter Chief Executive Officer High Wire Networks 1+ (952) 974-4000 Media Contact Lori Aleman Director of Marketing High Wire Networks Tel 1+ (630) 635-8477 [email protected]
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kaseya Joins Forces with Overwatch to Deliver on Brand Promise of Creating an Unfair Advantage for Partners Through Hyperautomation
BATAVIA, Ill., April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- High Wire Networks, Inc. (OTCQB: HWNI), Overwatch division announces a strategic partnership with Kaseya, the leading global provider of AI-powered cybersecurity and IT management software. Kaseya is aligned with the vision and leadership of Overwatch's new executive team and fully supports the company's bold commitment to its brand promise—creating an unfair advantage for partners and their customers. Rather than a standard vendor relationship, Kaseya is leaning in—investing directly in Overwatch's ability to scale with speed and purpose. Their support strengthens Overwatch's hyperautomation efforts, helping drive operational velocity and efficiency not only internally but across the partner ecosystem. These efforts simplify go-to-market activities, accelerate onboarding, and deliver faster value to partners, enabling them to serve their customers better. 'Kaseya has agreed to strategically support our mission of creating an unfair advantage for our channel, partner ecosystem, and their customers by investing in this relationship,' said Ed Vasko, CEO of High Wire-Overwatch. 'This strategic support empowers High Wire Overwatch to continue innovating our services and solutions while driving greater efficiencies and hyperautomation across our operating structure. By reducing costs and enabling faster, more agile responses to the needs of our partners and their customers, this partnership creates a powerful platform for ongoing innovation. It's more than an endorsement—it's a shared commitment to helping our partners win,' Vasko continued. Through this collaboration, Overwatch is expanding its cybersecurity capabilities in ways that deliver real, measurable value to its partners. The investment from Kaseya enables Overwatch to enhance its back-office operations with intelligent automation across CRM, ticketing, quoting, and payment systems, streamlining partner onboarding and enabling faster speed to market. This tight integration improves the overall partner experience while reducing the time from quote to cash, ultimately driving increased partner profitability. New service enhancements include augmented monitoring and management tools that support scalable vulnerability management, enabling partners to identify and mitigate risks within their own environments and their customers' infrastructures. Overwatch has also launched extended threat monitoring intelligence services that include adversarial dark web monitoring by identifying compromised credentials, domains, and accounts across partner ecosystems. Additionally, Kaseya's support has helped Overwatch design a cyber hygiene starter tier that focuses on the most exploited attack vectors—users, email, endpoints, and cloud productivity platforms—providing partners with a simple and effective foundation for protecting their customers. "At Kaseya, we're dedicated to helping companies like High Wire Overwatch gain a competitive edge in the market," said Joe Smolarski, President & Chief Customer Officer of Kaseya. "A complete integrated platform from Kaseya will provide unmatched operational efficiency. In addition, the cybersecurity offerings Overwatch can now offer to its customers will be integral in protecting their end-customers against the evolving threats facing small businesses today." This strategic partnership and the investment behind it positions Overwatch to deliver exceptional cybersecurity solutions while creating lasting and scalable advantages for its growing network of partners and their Kaseya Kaseya is the leading global provider of AI-powered cybersecurity and IT management software. Through its customer-centric approach and renowned support, Kaseya delivers best-in-breed technologies that empower organizations to seamlessly manage IT infrastructure, secure networks, backup critical data, manage service operations, and grow their businesses. Kaseya offers a broad array of IT management solutions from industry-leading providers: audIT, ConnectBooster, Datto, Graphus, ID Agent, IT Glue, Kaseya, RapidFire Tools, RocketCyber, SaaS Alerts, Secure Payments, Spanning Cloud Apps, TruMethods, Unitrends and Vonahi. These innovative solutions fuel Kaseya's IT Complete platform, which addresses the challenges of multifunctional IT professionals. IT Complete empowers them to centrally command hardware, software, security, data, compliance, operations and more from within a comprehensive, integrated, intelligent (AI utilization-optimized), and affordable platform. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Kaseya is privately held with a global presence in more than a dozen countries. To learn more, visit About High Wire NetworksHigh Wire Networks, Inc. (OTCQB: HWNI) is a fast-growing, award-winning global provider of managed cybersecurity. Through over 200 channel partners, it delivers trusted managed services for more than 1,100 managed security customers worldwide. End-customers include Fortune 500 companies and many of the nation's largest government agencies. Its U.S. based 24/7 Network Operations Center and Security Operations Center is located in Chicago, Illinois. High Wire was ranked by Frost & Sullivan as a Top 15 Managed Security Service Provider in the Americas for 2024. It was also named to CRN's MSP 500 and Elite 150 lists of the nation's top IT managed service providers for 2023 and 2024. Learn more at Follow the company on X, view its extensive video series on YouTube or connect on LinkedIn. Forward-Looking StatementsThe above news release contains forward-looking statements. The statements contained in this document that are not statements of historical fact, including but not limited to, statements identified by the use of terms such as "anticipate," "appear," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "hope," "indicate," "intend," "likely," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "project," "seek," "should," "will," "would," and other variations or negative expressions of these terms, including statements related to expected market trends and the Company's performance, are all "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on assumptions that management believes are reasonable based on currently available information, and include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company and its management. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performances and are subject to a wide range of external factors, uncertainties, business risks, and other risks identified in filings made by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in the company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances upon which any statement is based except as required by applicable law and regulations. High Wire Networks ContactMark PorterChief Executive OfficerHigh Wire NetworksTel +1 (952) 974-4000 Media ContactLori AlemanDirector of MarketingHigh Wire NetworksTel 1+ (630) 635-8477Sign in to access your portfolio
