Machine Learning for Cyber Agents: Attack and Defence

The cyber world has been both enhanced and endangered by AI. On the one hand, the performance of many existing security services has been improved, and new tools created. On the other, it entails new cyber threats both through evolved attacking capacities and through its own imperfections and vulnerabilities. Moreover, quantum computers are further pushing the boundaries of what is possible, by making machine learning cyber agents faster and smarter.

With the abundance of often-confusing information and lack of trust in the diverse applications of AI-based technologies, it is essential to have a book that can explain, from a cyber security standpoint, why and at what stage the emerging, powerful technology of machine learning can and should be mistrusted, and how to benefit from it while avoiding potentially disastrous consequences. In addition, this book sheds light on another highly sensitive area – the application of machine learning for offensive purposes, an aspect that is widely misunderstood, under-represented in the academic literature and requires immediate expert attention.

Dr. Stanislav Abaimov is a research associate at the Department of Computer Science, University of Bristol. He received a PhD in Cyber Security and Electronic Engineering from the University of Rome, Tor Vergata; and earned a degree of MSc in Information Security at the Royal Holloway, University of London.

Stanislav’s research area is related to the security of industrial control systems and machine learning application for cyber defence, including in autonomous systems. He is a contributing member of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs.

Prof. Maurizio Martellini is Director of the Insubria Center on International Security (ICIS), Secretary General of the Landau Network-Fondazione Alessandro Volta (LN-FAV), Professor of Physics at the University of Insubria (Como, Italy), Member of the Pugwash General Conferences, advisor of the Italian Ministryof Foreign Affairs and was Executive Secretary of the former International Working Group (IWG).