Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity in Modern Information Systems

Abstract

Modern information systems store, process and transmit the data on which businesses, governments and citizens depend, and they are exposed to an ever-growing number of cyber attacks. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become important in this area in two ways. It strengthens defence by detecting intrusions, malware and fraud faster than manual methods, and it creates new risks because attackers can use the same technology and because AI systems themselves can be manipulated or used without proper control. This paper examines the relationship between artificial intelligence and cybersecurity in modern information systems on the basis of secondary data from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the annual Cost of a Data Breach reports of IBM Security and the Ponemon Institute, and published research. Three comparison tables are prepared: year-wise growth of cyber security incidents in India from 2019 to 2024, a comparison of global breach cost, breach lifecycle and the savings from security AI and automation in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and a comparison of breach outcomes between organisations that use AI extensively for defence and those exposed to unsanctioned or shadow AI. The analysis shows that the number of incidents tracked in India increased more than five times in five years, that organisations using AI and automation extensively saved between 1.8 and 2.2 million US dollars per breach and identified and contained breaches 80 to 108 days faster, and that shadow AI increases the cost and the exposure of sensitive data. The paper concludes that AI is a necessary but not a sufficient element of cyber defence, and that it must be combined with governance, secure design, skilled people and human oversight.