The role of AI and machine learning in personal data security Posted on : Dec 19 - 2017

Are we entering a new age of behavioural tracking with the emergence of artificial intelligence and machine-learning, will this offer new levels of personal data security and will our behaviour online become the only password we need?

A proactive and dynamic response to digital identity security is now critical. Latest figures from fraud prevention organisation Cifas show there has been a sharp rise in identity fraudsters applying for loans, online retail, telecoms and insurance products.

Simon Dukes, chief executive of Cifas, says: “We have seen identity fraud attempts increase year-on-year, now reaching epidemic levels, with identities being stolen at a rate of almost 500 a day.”

Proving your identity has always been essential, but none more so than across the digital landscape. It’s not surprising that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning are being rapidly developed as an aid to identity authentication.

The risk of chargebacks, botnet attacks or identity theft is leading enterprises to deploy intelligent systems that are not simply looking at publicly available data to identify a person. Earlier this year, for instance, Sift Science announced its Account Takeover Prevention that can detect and block illegitimate login attempts.

The Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2017 revealed that just under half (46 per cent) of all UK businesses identified at least one cybersecurity breach or attack in the last 12 months. This rises to two thirds among medium-sized firms (66 per cent) and large firms (68 per cent). Protecting the personal data of their customers is now a commercial imperative.

Using traditional data, such as name, address, email, date of birth, IP address and biometrics such as voice, fingerprint and iris scan, are being joined by behavioural characteristics that are unique to the individual. This is necessary as much of the traditional personal data is available via public record or can be purchased on the dark web. However, behaviour isn’t a tangible piece of data that can be purchased, which makes this form of security highly attractive for enterprises and organisations. View More