Cybersecurity in the AI Era: Protecting Trust, Not Just Data

For years, the battle in cybersecurity was based on clear assumptions: threats came from security gaps, weak passwords, or phishing attacks. Protection relied on the same principles: firewalls, antivirus, and advanced monitoring systems.

However, in the age of artificial intelligence, the rules of the game have completely changed. What was once considered a “next-generation attack” is now a daily reality: voice and video forgeries (deepfakes), creation of fake identities, and dissemination of industrial-scale disinformation. These are the new threats, and often the most dangerous, precisely because they operate in the “blind spots” of cybersecurity, vulnerabilities that traditional systems simply cannot detect.

A recent Gartner report warns that by 2030, disinformation challenges will become a business threat on a scale similar to data breaches. This means that any organization, from banks and multinational corporations to government offices, could lose the most asset, public trust. It’s not only about data being breached or stolen, but also about information that appears credible yet is actually fake, leading to incorrect decision-making, reputational damage, and sometimes even national security risks.

How can we cope with this reality? The answer is not simply hardening systems or adding layers of traditional security. A paradigm shift and renewed perspective are required. Cybersecurity in the AI era must combine advanced technology, smart identity verification, and an understanding of human behaviour.

Here, Israeli innovation comes into play. Because this issue is a high priority for authorities both in the U.S. and Israel, funding has been provided through the BIRD Foundation, the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation, for a groundbreaking project by the Israeli company Validit.ai, in collaboration with the American company Inspire Labs. (The funding is part of the BIRD HLS program, managed in cooperation with representatives from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Israel’s Ministry of National Security. 

The technology combines physiological measurement of the body’s stress response with cognitive stimuli to detect and prevent fraud attempts. It is anomaly-based and can distinguish even the most sophisticated deepfake from a real user. In other words, it does not just ask “Who are you?” but also “What are your intentions?”

Implementation is easy across mobile devices such as tablets, smartphones, or laptops. Operation is simple, user experience is friendly and non-intrusive, and no prior training or expertise is required.

Recently, the technology was deployed at the project partner Inspire Labs, which is part of Silverstein Properties, one of the largest private real estate companies in New York, best known for developing and managing the World Trade Center complex.

The company develops, invests in, and manages office towers, residential buildings, and commercial projects across New York and the U.S. The technology is used there for real-time entry screening of visitors, as well as tenant verification during the leasing process—all fully compliant with strict privacy requirements worldwide.

The main advantage of combining technology with understanding human behaviour is the ability to stay one step ahead of hackers. While organizations used to engage in an ongoing arms race against attackers who could bypass passwords or replicate profiles, today’s new technologies can detect subtle deviations characteristic of impersonating AI. This is a critical advantage not only in the business world but also in protecting critical infrastructure, financial systems, and security organizations.

However, technology alone is not enough. To ensure real resilience, organizations must combine advanced security systems with user and employee education and awareness. Ultimately, many attacks succeed not due to technological weakness but due to human error, like clicking in the wrong place.

The vision for the next decade is clear: AI must be transformed from a tool with the potential to exacerbate threats into a tool that protects against them. This requires investment, international cooperation, and a broader concept of “information security.” Israel, as a startup nation, can lead this revolution, if we understand that the next battle will not be just over data, but over trust in information itself.

The author is CEO and co-founder of Validit.ai