Singapore - Artificial intelligence is accelerating the pace of cyberattacks, forcing defenders to adapt faster than ever, industry leaders warned at the DEF CON hacking conference in Singapore.
Dr. Adrian Tang, group director of the Digital Defence Hub at the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies, said new AI models can chain vulnerabilities into exploits in hours, a process that once took months. Defenders now must patch vulnerabilities and close security gaps at unprecedented speed.
AI tools are already automating manual tasks like malware analysis, cutting work from hours to seconds. But Dr. Tang stressed the real challenge is mastering AI faster and at scale. "AI is a force multiplier for both attackers and defenders," he said.
Industry players report a persistent shortage of skilled professionals. Mr. Goh Eng Choon, president of cyber at ST Engineering, noted that the high-stress nature of the work contributes to fatigue and attrition. Mr. Yeo Lip Khoon, head of HTX's xCybersecurity department, said the biggest gap is finding talent that operates at the intersection of AI and cybersecurity.
To build the pipeline, HTX partnered with DEF CON to bring the conference to Singapore for the first time, featuring hands-on challenges simulating attacks on critical sectors like maritime and transport. Mr. Yeo emphasized that human creativity and ingenuity remain essential. "In the war between cybersecurity threats, human creativity will always be critical," he said.