Inside Cynet: CTO Aviad Hasnis on AI-Driven Cybersecurity Innovations

Leading Cybersecurity Innovation at Cynet

Aviad Hasnis, CTO at Cynet Security, directs the company's cybersecurity technology strategy, focusing on the development of their extended detection and response (XDR) platform, threat research, and managed detection and response (MDR) services. With a background in senior cybersecurity roles in the Israel Defense Forces and advanced degrees in engineering and physics from the Technion, Hasnis brings a deep technical expertise to Cynet.

Simplifying Security for SMBs

Cynet offers an all-in-one automated cybersecurity platform designed specifically for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). The platform integrates endpoint, network, user, email, and cloud security into a single, AI-enabled, automated solution supported by 24/7 MDR. This approach helps SMB security teams, which often have limited resources, defend against sophisticated threats while maintaining operational simplicity.

Native Automation and AI Integration

Hasnis explains that Cynet’s platform is natively automated, with all features and capabilities developed in-house to ensure seamless integration. Automation reduces the need for manual management, allowing security teams to focus on more strategic tasks. The AI-driven system enhances threat detection and mitigation, providing environment-wide visibility through an intuitive dashboard.

MITRE ATT&CK Excellence

Cynet’s platform achieved top marks in the MITRE ATT&CK evaluations, earning 100% Protection and 100% Detection Visibility. This success reflects the company's commitment to reliability and effectiveness, as MITRE’s assessments simulate real-world cyberattack scenarios to benchmark security solutions.

Balancing AI and Human Expertise

While AI accelerates data processing and threat identification, Cynet emphasizes the importance of human oversight. Their 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC) staffed by expert analysts continuously monitors environments, validating AI alerts and ensuring accuracy to prevent false positives and adversarial attacks.

Addressing Emerging Threats

Hasnis highlights concerns about the weaponization of generative AI, including deepfakes, automated phishing, and polymorphic malware. Cynet prioritizes tracking abnormal user behavior and network activity, leveraging AI to identify subtle indicators of compromise.

Ransomware Defense

Early detection is crucial in defending against ransomware. Cynet’s platform automates threat detection, eradication, and remediation reporting, reducing manual incident handling by 90% and accelerating response times by 50 times.

The Future of Autonomous Cybersecurity

Although AI can automate many detection and response functions, Cynet believes human analysts must retain the final decision-making role. Their approach combines AI-driven automation with continuous human engagement to maximize efficiency and security.

The Role of Large Language Models

Hasnis notes that cybercriminals exploit large language models (LLMs) to scale social engineering attacks and bypass security. Cynet combats these threats by continuously refining AI models with current data and integrating real-world threat intelligence.

The AI Arms Race

The cybersecurity landscape is evolving rapidly as attackers use AI to automate attacks, making them more sophisticated and harder to detect. Cynet fights back by automating detection, analysis, and response, maintaining an edge through constant model refinement and proactive defense strategies.

Quantum Computing and Cybersecurity

Quantum computing poses a future challenge to encryption but is not an immediate threat. Cynet remains vigilant, monitoring quantum advancements to prepare for when this technology moves from theory to practical use.

For more information, visit Cynet Security’s website.