Vulnerability Management

Will there come a day where there are 0 vulnerabilities to find?

There's a growing potential for AI to remove many sources of vulnerabilities, but does that mean we're going to see a day where code is being written without any vulnerabilities being introduced into systems?
Thomas Ballin
3 minute read

There's an interesting potential for AI to remove a lot of the traditional sources for vulnerabilities. Building really mature models of AI that are capable of generating code without human error presents great opportunity. However, the likelihood of us ever seeing a day where code is being written without any vulnerabilities being introduced into systems is slim.

Vulnerabilities are sometimes coupled with features, and you sometimes have to accept that risk in order to implement a feature and enable a system to do something. This is simply an unfortunate reality within cybersecurity.

It's a hard pill to swallow for security people. Penetration testers in particular like to think that every vulnerability they report is going to be triaged, treated and remediated, but that's not realistic. The reality of the tradeoff between security and usability in any product and in any situation is that vulnerabilities may remain in spite of detection.

Thus, even if AI is capable of writing impeccable code that prevents new vulnerabilities from getting in, the features we will continue to use and work with will inevitably invite vulnerabilities into the system.

Vulnerability Management

Will there come a day where there are 0 vulnerabilities to find?

There's a growing potential for AI to remove many sources of vulnerabilities, but does that mean we're going to see a day where code is being written without any vulnerabilities being introduced into systems?
Thomas Ballin
3
min read
two white dot

There's an interesting potential for AI to remove a lot of the traditional sources for vulnerabilities. Building really mature models of AI that are capable of generating code without human error presents great opportunity. However, the likelihood of us ever seeing a day where code is being written without any vulnerabilities being introduced into systems is slim.

Vulnerabilities are sometimes coupled with features, and you sometimes have to accept that risk in order to implement a feature and enable a system to do something. This is simply an unfortunate reality within cybersecurity.

It's a hard pill to swallow for security people. Penetration testers in particular like to think that every vulnerability they report is going to be triaged, treated and remediated, but that's not realistic. The reality of the tradeoff between security and usability in any product and in any situation is that vulnerabilities may remain in spite of detection.

Thus, even if AI is capable of writing impeccable code that prevents new vulnerabilities from getting in, the features we will continue to use and work with will inevitably invite vulnerabilities into the system.

Prioritise Your Testing Programme Around Your Development Schedule

Detect Vulnerabilities Faster
Patch Vulnerabilities Faste
Be more compliant
Book a Demo

Related Posts

Vulnerability Management
How do you understand performance over time?
In order to get to grips with the performance of your software or product over time, you really need to be taking incremental measurements of your cybersecurity.
Thomas Ballin
February 2, 2021
Security Testing
Automated penetration testing - 5 key business benefits
Automated penetration testing is becoming increasingly popular. But how does this compare to manual penetration testing? Understand the main key benefits.
Thomas Ballin
June 4, 2024
Vulnerability Management
Will there come a day where there are 0 vulnerabilities to find?
There's a growing potential for AI to remove many sources of vulnerabilities, but does that mean we're going to see a day where code is being written without any vulnerabilities being introduced into systems?
Thomas Ballin
June 4, 2024
cytix frame image
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information.