Education key factor in combatting AI cyber threats

“Artificial intelligence is a double-edged sword in cybersecurity. While it enables more advanced detection, automation and resilience, it also lowers the threshold for sophisticated attacks. Addressing these challenges requires close collaboration across disciplines and national borders”, says Olga Torstensson, Project Manager and Lecturer at Halmstad University.

During the year-long project, the group has identified three key areas to focus on: AI for secure and forensic-ready critical infrastructures, AI applications in cybersecurity, and AI-generated and AI-enabled cyber threats, such as deepfakes and other artificially produced media.

Some of the key outcomes have been the development of interdisciplinary training module concepts in AI-driven cybersecurity, and the preparation of multiple international funding applications, ensuring long-term sustainability.

Collaboration across borders

The project, which was financed by the Swedish Institute’s Baltic Sea Neighbourhood Programme, has led to a strong international partnership, bringing together Halmstad University, Sweden, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Ukraine, and University of the National Education Commission in Krakow, Poland.

To enhance the understanding and detection of AI-generated cyber threats, the universities have engaged in joint activities such as guest lectures, workshops and participation in conferences, with active engagement from industry partners, students and an expanding European network.

Industry dialogue has included partners such as Siemens Sweden and SoftServe, connecting academia with real-world challenges, while student involvement has resulted in two theses on large language model security and deepfake detection, by students enrolled in Halmstad University’s bachelor’s programme IT Forensics and Information Security.

The project has also led to a proposal with 37 partners from 16 countries being sent to the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST), a funding organisation for the creation of research networks.

New project approved

Going forward, the plan is to continue the collaboration through an approved Swedish Institute cooperation project on AI-driven cybersecurity. There are also plans for several Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs) for students and teachers, as well as ongoing work toward long-term research and educational cooperation across Europe.

“We are grateful to all partners and contributors for their commitment, expertise and shared vision. This is a powerful step forward in addressing emerging AI-enabled cyber threats together”, says Olga Torstensson.

Text and photo: Emma Swahn