Authors: Victor Doke, PhD, Security Analyst and Lecturer, Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) & Kwame Asomaning, Technologist and Cybersecurity Professional.
The age and era of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gradually crept with us. This means there is nothing we can do about it than embrace it.
AI, has its positive and negative effects for organizations, stakeholders, state, and national security. AI has numerous benefits all over the globe, AI has become a tool that is being used for various purposes. AI, is used in the hospitals for diagnosis, used in classrooms to aid learners, and even used in warfare-predicting enemy lines for counterattack.
Advanced countries and institutions have resorted to the use of AI for ease of modern warfare and productivity. Weapons have now been fitted with aspects of AI to ascertain exact locations of targets. This critical dimension makes artificial intelligence a tool that we in the global south need to take seriously.
When we look at the aspect of misinformation and disinformation, we need not overlook the fact that AI is being used in a negative way. With associated attacks in cyberspace, misinformation and disinformation is something very worrying when AI is used.
Happenings around the globe with regards to the use of AI has shown that the tool is being used to destroy cryptocurrency investments. Recent narratives have established financial crimes were committed in the cryptocurrency markets because a worker’s laptop was infected with AI software. This is a very worrying spectacle.
We are hearing financial institutions also losing their security space to AI threats. Some banks in Asia have been hacked using AI software, and automated cyber-attacks via AI tools across the globe.
The question then is; what happens with us in the global south? So, for a country like Ghana, have we fully embraced artificial intelligence? Looking at the threats and challenges with the fight against cyber-attacks, what this means is criminal elements have become more sophisticated, trying to find loopholes in the security system to be able to outwit the security agencies and managers of the country using the AI tool. Arrests have been made regarding Ghanaian citizens alleged to have used AI to create fake images to engage in cyber fraud and romance scams.
Our security architecture must embrace this tool as a matter of national security. This will go a long way to assist fight crime and predict crimes and identify the perpetuators. In the end, the tool can have a positive impact on our security landscape when applied efficiently.
Africa as a whole need to really invest in artificial intelligence to understand the intricacies either for security purposes, protection and prevention of crimes and conflict. Otherwise, we’ll be taken by surprise when attacks are targeted against our financial institutions and our security apparatus.
We need to learn the use of AI. Various institutions in the country need to embrace it just for the purposes of protection and prevention of any attacks. We must be mindful of the fact that the impact of AI is numerous to leave unmanaged. Strong governance policies and investment in people are what will keep its use safe and effective.
Here are some of the key benefits of the use of AI in Cybersecurity:
- AI in cybersecurity enables real-time threat detection, automated response, and large-scale data analysis to mitigate risks faster than traditional approaches.
- AI-powered cybersecurity strengthens endpoints, networks, and cloud security through phishing detection, behavioral analytics, vulnerability management, and authentication.
- AI reduces manual effort and human error while improving efficiency, accelerating response times, and enhancing overall security posture.
- Effective adoption requires high-quality data, continuous model updates, human in the loop, and integration across the security stack.
- AI-driven security introduces risks like adversarial AI and data poisoning, requiring adaptive and continuously evolving defense strategies.
Over the past few months, we have seen a rise in adversarial AI attacks, data poisoning, AI tools hacking one another, and simulated attacks. Organizations looking to adopt AI should invest in training their people. AI adoption is valuable, but only if organizations will invest in AI training, establishment of Governance processes and continuously evolve in their defense strategies.
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