Peter Moore, CEO and Founder of software specialist Lolly, discusses how AI can help keep your business safe online.
In the fast-paced world of events planning and execution, our reliance on technology has grown exponentially. As the events industry embraces digital transformation, it becomes increasingly vulnerable to cyberthreats. However, artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a powerful ally in fortifying the security infrastructure and protecting sensitive data within the events sector. As Peter Moore, CEO and Founder of software specialist Lolly, says: “AI can be used in many ways to protect ourselves from the increasing numbers of cyber security threats. As an example, you can use AI to build technology that can help to identify threats. This is the future.”
AI-powered threat detection systems have the ability to analyse vast amounts of data in real-time. This enables the identification of unusual patterns or behaviours that may indicate a potential cyber threat. For the events industry, where large volumes of data are exchanged during planning and execution, this proactive approach is critical in preventing security breaches.
Peter predicts that AI is going to be increasingly adopted and used for anything we can programme it to do: “The adoption of AI will accelerate and become part of our lives. But it needs to be managed and controlled. The only limitations it has are the abilities of the people programming it. As it machine learns and increases in capability, the human race will need to keep up.”
By employing machine learning algorithms, AI can understand and learn the normal behaviour of users and systems. Any deviation from these patterns can trigger alerts, helping event organisers and IT teams to swiftly respond to potential security incidents. This level of adaptive security is invaluable in an industry that often handles sensitive information, such as delegate details and payment data.
AI’s ability to recognise fraudulent activities plays a crucial role in safeguarding financial transactions and ticketing systems within the events industry. AI algorithms can quickly detect anomalies and fraudulent patterns, preventing unauthorised access and ensuring the integrity of transactions, thereby protecting both event organisers and delegates: “The industry has use for AI because it is so heavily client-based, and consumers expect companies to have this in place in order to ensure they are protected when using services at your locations.”
AI contributes to enhancing data protection through advanced encryption techniques. Implementing AI-driven encryption solutions helps secure communications and data storage, reducing the risk of unauthorised access to sensitive information. This is particularly important for events handling personal data, payment details, and other confidential information.
In the face of a cyberattack, AI can streamline incident response by automating certain processes. This includes isolating affected systems, mitigating potential damages, and initiating countermeasures. By reducing response times, AI helps minimise the impact of cyber threats on events, ensuring a swift recovery and maintaining the trust of stakeholders and delegates.
AI’s predictive capabilities enable the events industry to assess and mitigate potential risks before they escalate. By analysing historical data and identifying trends, AI can help event organisers proactively address vulnerabilities in their systems, enhancing overall cybersecurity posture.
AI-driven monitoring systems provide continuous surveillance of network activities, ensuring that any malicious activities are detected promptly. This continuous monitoring is crucial for events that involve extensive online interactions, such as virtual conferences or hybrid events.
The integration of AI into the cybersecurity framework of the events industry is imperative in today’s digital landscape.
By leveraging advanced threat detection, behavioural analysis, fraud prevention, secure encryption, automated incident response, predictive analytics, and continuous monitoring, AI empowers
event organisers to stay one step ahead of cyberthreats, ensuring the seamless and secure execution of events in an ever- evolving technological environment: “AI is continually changing and evolving. It is real and it is here now,” Peter affirms.