The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Tackling Cybersecurity Threats to Critical Infrastructure

Abstract

Aimed at the ongoing wave of technological advancement, Critical infrastructure (CI) has become the cornerstone of modern security policy, societal functionality, national security, and economic stability of the state. However, the rapid integration of interconnected cyber systems has shifted from a reactive defense mechanism to a proactive one by exposing them to vulnerable threats such as ransomware, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Distributed Denial of Services (DDoS) attacks, and cyber breaches. Therefore, traditional rule-based defense mechanisms have proven insufficient in countering these devastating threats due to over-reliance on autonomous systems that may fail under adversarial manipulation of systems. This research illustrates the transformative role of AI through a multi-stakeholder governance model, where government, the private sector, and cybersecurity agencies collaborate for AI’s better effectiveness. Employing qualitative research methodology, by analyzing the secondary periodic resources to evaluate real-time threat detection, anomaly recognition, and automated incident responses for better resilient and intelligence defense mechanisms, is essential for preserving national security.