Artificial intelligence companies including OpenAI and Anthropic could, within six months, roll out advanced models capable of finding software vulnerabilities at scale, sharply lowering the barrier for sophisticated cyberattacks, Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) CEO Nikesh Arora has warned.
25-Minute Window
In a blog post published Monday, Arora said these AI models will be easily accessible to anyone possessing a credit card and a computer, thereby enabling even a single malicious actor to carry out campaigns that previously required entire teams.
The cybersecurity firm’s top boss said that companies’ heavy reliance on multiple vendors and aging open-source dependencies creates a large attack surface, with new AI models increasingly adept at uncovering overlooked vulnerabilities.
AI-powered attacks could go from breach to data theft in just 25 minutes, while most firms take days to detect intrusions, stressing that no company—including AI data centers—is immune, he noted.
Fighting AI Threats With Smarter AI
However, Arora also sees potential for these models to be part of the defense. “The strategy is clear: we must fight AI with AI,” he said.
He emphasized the need for AI labs to release these capabilities responsibly and for defenders to swiftly leverage these capabilities.
“The stakes are high,” he wrote. “The window to act is open, and we need to act swiftly with intent, together.
Arora Signals Confidence Amid Wider Sell-Off
Arora’s comments follow a recent downturn in cybersecurity stocks after an inadvertent data exposure by AI startup Anthropic on Friday. The data leak revealed details about an unreleased model, “Claude Mythos,” which was described as a “step change” in capabilities. Despite the sector’s rebound on Monday, stocks such as SentinelOne, Inc. (NYSE:S) were down by over 11% over the past week, while CrowdStrike Holdings (NASDAQ:CRWD) declined 7.23%.
Pal Alto fell 4.76% during the same period. However, it rose nearly 5% on Monday as SEC filings indicated that Arora made his first share purchase since 2019. The purchase totaled 68,085 shares worth nearly $10 million.
Over the past year, Palo Alto has accelerated investments in cybersecurity and AI, highlighted by the acquisition of Israeli cybersecurity firm CyberArk and the $3.3 billion purchase of Chronosphere, alongside new automation tools.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by a Benzinga editor.
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