Cybersecurity experts with experience at the FBI and Microsoft have told a major conference in Manchester that fighting AI-powered fraud requires a team of 11 Leo Messis, not just a gun and a badge. The keynote speakers at DTX + UCX Manchester, held at Manchester Central as part of Manchester Tech Week, discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can help combat cybercrime.
Key Insights from FBI and Microsoft Veterans
Howard Marshall, former deputy assistant director at the FBI’s cyber division, now at Accenture, said he learned that "you don't have to have a badge and a gun to help secure the world. The data we have access to is endless." He noted there has been "a lot of noise" around AI, and the public struggles to separate hype from practical use.
Kelly Bissell, corporate vice president for fraud and product abuse at Microsoft, shared that his team must explore 16 billion transactions monthly and detect deepfake calls and crypto mining. He emphasized that AI has transformed their work, allowing fewer developers to achieve more.
AI Adoption: A Change Management Challenge
Bissell revealed internal resistance to AI, with some employees reluctant to change tools. His response was blunt: "As soon as I fired him, everybody got religion." He stressed that AI adoption is mandatory at Microsoft, leading to greater effectiveness. Last year, Microsoft thwarted $4bn of fraud using AI and ML.
Skills for the AI Era
The experts agreed that cybersecurity now requires creativity and imagination, not just deep technical skills. Bissell said: "The need today is creativity and imagination, and being able to think outside the box. If I were a bad actor, what would I do to disrupt this thing?" He added that professionals must have an "insatiable desire" to learn.
Humans Must Stay in Control
Both speakers warned against blindly trusting AI outputs. Bissell said: "The human is the pilot and AI the copilot. The worry is that people will acquiesce to what the tool says blindly, and I think that's a mistake." He cited examples of lawyers using AI that hallucinated non-existent case law.
Football Analogy: 11 Messis Needed
Using a football analogy, Marshall referenced Manchester United's recent win. Bissell said: "If you haven't embedded AI in your operations you're in trouble. It's like the other team has 11 players and you have three. You're not going to win. Also, AI means all 11 are Messi players." He described an "arms race" where defenders must match attackers' precision.
