Is AI coming for your role?

We’ve heard the same story for years. AI is here for your work. In fact, in 2017, McKinsey reported, lost jobs, and jobs: The workforce has shifted into an age of automation, predicting that by 2030, 375 million workers will be at risk of finding new jobs or evacuating through AI and automation. It cues anxiety.

There have been ongoing whispers about what roles will be affected, and pentests have recently been raised in question. AI can now automate tasks such as vulnerability scans and network scans. Other things, will Pentester quit his job if platforms like PlexTrac add AI capabilities to reduce manual efforts?

Let’s start with optimism. This year, McKinsey retracted previous forecasts that 375 million workers would be expelled by AI, lowering the forecast to around 92 million workers. This article continued to alleviate concerns that while some jobs may become outdated, jobs are likely to simply undergo transitions and that an estimated 170 million new roles will likely emerge from the ashes.

Returning to pentest, it’s fair to assume that some aspects of that role will lend more to automation in the coming years. And while some pentest-related roles may have to pivot, AI lacks other automated scanner tools and elements to set up quarantine. As the Cloud Security Alliance quotes, “AI acts as a force multiplier for intrusion testers, rather than replacing humans.”

AI enhances its pentest functionality rather than replacing it

One common misconception is that AI makes the Pentester a thing of the past. The reality is much more subtle. Automation is already beginning to help streamline some of the more monotonous and repetitive tasks, but human creativity and expertise remain invaluable.

Script kids are learning (machine)

AI is changing the barriers to pentest entries. With the help of AI-powered tools, people with little technical experience (often called script kiddies) can perform more sophisticated testing without the need for a detailed understanding of the underlying mechanism. AI lowers entry barriers by automating more complex tasks such as vulnerability scanning, enemy simulation, and exploitation. These automations make it easier for these users to identify and take advantage of system weaknesses.

Pentesters may be viewed negatively by script children, but advances in AI and automation benefit everyone. By removing low-hanging fruits, testers at all levels can take on more complex and valuable engagement, increasing their skill level and making them more effective and safe. With AI handling the boring foundations, every tester focuses on learning the deeper nuances of pentting, ultimately becoming more skilled and contributing to the security environment.

Focus on high-value tasks: let AI handle monotonous tasks

It’s not just the kids in scripts who enjoy the benefits of AI. By leveraging automation, Pentesters are freed and focused on tasks that require higher levels of expertise and human intervention. For example, AI can automate vulnerability discovery, allowing pentesters to focus on creating unique exploits that require a nuanced understanding of human behavior and business logic, as well as conducting advanced red team exercises.

The specific tasks that AI can automate include:

We conducted a collection of deeper research and open source intelligence (OSINT), a scan scan of common vulnerabilities and exposure (CVE) in target systems performing basic network scans, identify potential attack vectors, identify potential attack vectors, identify prioritized vulnerabilities and exploitability craft discovered vulnerabilities, identify vulnerabilities and exploitability crafts, based on current testing suggesting additional engagement to implement vulnerabilities, and on the stack of technologies suggesting that additional engagement to implement vulnerabilities.

By eliminating these repetitive tasks, AI can spend more time exploring refined exploits, finding hidden flaws, and thinking outside the box.

Phishing and Social Engineering 2.0: AI Hooks for Better Simulation

The impact of AI on pentesting is also evident in the field of social engineering. This technology is already in progress in phishing simulations and training exercises. The AI’s ability to analyze huge amounts of data, understand human behavior, and create more reliable phishing attacks or social engineering scenarios allows intrusion testers to perform more realistic attacks. This means that businesses can better prepare for real threats, as AI increases the credibility of simulated attacks.

Additionally, AI tools provide feedback and coaching, allowing intrusion testers to improve social engineering techniques, learn from past engagements, and improve crafting over time.

AI accelerates the pen testing process: speed meets accuracy

AI can dramatically speed up the lifecycle stages of penetration testing, if not all. for example:

OSINT and Information Gathering: AI can analyze an organization’s technology stack, identify known vulnerabilities in the tools and platforms they are using, and propose potential attack vectors more quickly than humans can manually research. Threat Modeling: Based on the data collected, AI can recommend specific threats to emulate based on previous success rates correlated with collected intelligence. Anomaly detection: When sifting through large datasets, AI is excellent at detecting patterns and identifying outliers. It can flag anomalous discoveries that could otherwise be buried in a sea of ​​data, allowing Pentesters to focus on the most important vulnerabilities. Development: AI tools can help Pentesters generate exploit code tailored to the specific technology stack or system they are testing. Post-Exploitation: AI will help cover the track of exploitation and remove evidence that the testers were there in a more comprehensive way. It also allows defenders to keep their guesses and leave false clues to continue investigating the rabbit trail. Pentest/Attack Security Report: Similar to GPT tools that help you write emails, you can speed up Pentest reports using generated AI. PlexTrac, a leading pentest reporting platform, integrates AI to generate exploit results, summarise data, and even create executive summary of reports. However, of course, you need to make sure you leverage and keep your data safe. PlexTrac’s homemade AI solutions run with pre-trained capacity. The system and underlying components do not learn over time or retain user submissions beyond the requirements to process submissions and provide generative responses.

What to expect from Pentest AI: Hacker’s best friend?

The future of pentests could include the synergistic relationship between AI and human expertise. Here’s how AI will support Pentesters in the near future:

Collaboration: AI can act as a companion to intrusion testers and help you analyze your findings, create reports, and even recommend the next step based on past engagement. It can act as a “Red Team Assistant” that promotes collaboration between team members and provides guidance through engagement. Business Logic and Context Recognition: AI also helps intrusion testers understand how vulnerabilities affect your business. Instead of identifying technical flaws, AI provides context as to how the flaws can lead to business disruption, data loss, or reputational damage. This understanding can guide the pentester in creating more impactful recommendations and reports. Agent Framework and Inference Model: Advances in inference models allow AI to provide insight into why certain decisions are made, allowing intrusion testers to better understand the logic behind their discoveries and proposals. This transparency improves the way humans interact with AI and increases its effectiveness in pentest tasks.

Accepting new pentest partners

AI is not here to take over the work of penetration testers. Rather, it’s here to make their work faster, more efficient and more effective. Scanning for vulnerabilities, creating reports, and even performing basic exploits can be automated, but subtle tasks that require creativity, critical thinking and deep technical knowledge always require a hacker’s touch.

By embracing AI as a tool to enhance work, penetration testers can spend more time on exciting and challenging aspects of their work, including hacking, problem solving, and surrounding enemies. As AI continues to evolve, it is clear that Pentesters will be empowered to avoid evacuation. In fact, those who embrace AI will find themselves more competitive in the ever-changing cybersecurity situation.