Cybersecurity has been a concern for businesses and entities since the dawn of the internet. And, as communications technology evolves, so do the attack vectors. 

A quick response enabled by immediate detection is often key with a cyber attack. If businesses can’t have their own detection and response teams, they may employ the Security Operations Centre (SOC) services of Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) like DigitalXRAID.

However, technology has been evolving rather rapidly, which means newer threats are emerging. And, as businesses adopt digital transformation, they need to be aware of potential dangers they might face.

Two such cyber security issues recently discussed have been cybersecurity in space and cyber risk due to climate change.

Cybersecurity in Space Deemed “Urgent”, Needing “High-Level Attention”, Says US National Cyber Director

The US National Cyber Director, Kemba Walden, spoke to reporters at the RSA conference on the 26th of April 2023. 

She said cybersecurity in outer space was a pressing issue that was to be discussed in the first space industry cybersecurity workshop hosted by the White House.

“We are all aware that the first ‘shot’ in the current Ukraine conflict was a cyberattack against a US space company,” Walden said.

She was, of course, referring to Russia’s attempt to jam SpaceX’s Spacelink, which was being used to provide Ukraine with internet connectivity.

Walden called space systems cybersecurity “an incredibly complex and unique space ecosystem”, which required “a very close public-private partnership”.

She went on to explain that nation-state threat actors like China and Russia are being considered cyber threats to space systems, and calling such attacks—that on Starlink and the one on Viasat—“acts of war”.

Secure-by-design space technology is something that the White House has been talking about a lot recently. 

Released last month, the White House’s Cybersecurity Strategy mentioned how space-based systems—including navigation, positioning, and environmental monitoring—needed to be secure.

Walden also mentioned that the US Space Policy Directive 5, which outlines cybersecurity design principles for space systems, is something they want to focus on.

The principles are being decided and the next steps would be to collaborate with the industry to put these into action.

How Climate Change Is Increasing Cyber-Risks

One would assume that climate change and cybersecurity are topics that are poles apart. However, there are several connections between these two issues.

These connections were highlighted by Chloe Messdaghi, CEO and Founder of Global Secure Partners.

According to Ms Messdaghi, issues caused by climate change provided more opportunities for threat actors to attack.

Attacks on Green Energy Sources

In order to reduce greenhouse emissions, the world is shifting towards green energy sources. These energy sources rely on new technologies. Since they are new, they may not have a well-rounded defence against cyber attacks.

For instance, electric vehicles are reliant on a network of charge points. These would be connected to the grid and managed through a central system. This could be targeted by threat actors.

Whilst this was a hypothetical example, Ms Messdaghi also brought up the cyber-incident at Vestas Wind Systems. That attack forced the world’s largest manufacturer of wind turbines to stop IT operations across a number of locations.

Extreme Weather Conditions Damaging Critical Digital Systems

Another risk that accompanies climate change that would affect cybersecurity is extreme weather events.

Climate change can result in more frequent and devastating hurricanes and tsunamis. These could affect critical digital systems—damaging underwater communications cables or off-site servers.

Any disruptions such damage would cause could be used as an opportunity by threat actors to attack.

Such weather events might also lead to an increase in remote working. If workers are not careful, they can be targeted for phishing attacks. These, in turn, could be used to get into the employers’ systems and data.

Deteriorating Relationships Between Countries

Climate change can lead to rising temperatures, which then affect geopolitical stability. As people are displaced due to famines caused by rising temperatures, the resulting migration could lead to tensions between countries.

These tensions could then be used as an excuse to conduct cyber attacks on the rival nation’s infrastructure.

It might sound incredible right now, but the pace at which technology is evolving means that we constantly need to look at cybersecurity from all angles. Because, even if we don’t, threat actors would definitely be trying to find any chinks in the cybersecurity armour.

(Threat actors are already using AI for creating malware, whilst cybersecurity experts are considering it for penetration testing.)

And, whilst things seem unrelated, nothing exists in isolation. We need to look at how changes in one system could affect the way it interacts with other systems.

Anyone who has used ChatGPT has been amazed by how it can “talk” to them. This AI-powered chatbot can give answers to any question it is asked. And, it does it in a conversational way.

On the face of it, the answers look and sound original. That means if one were to give it a topic, the answer could easily be used as an article.

In fact, one of the jobs it is supposed to “steal” is that of the content writer. The argument is, why should anyone pay for writers when ChatGPT can do the same thing faster and for a much lower cost?

Can ChatGPT Replace Content Writers?

And, everyone knows that SEO content can be difficult for businesses, especially IT businesses. In fact, IT marketing agencies, like Geeky Tech, are inundated with clients who don’t know what sort of content will work best for them.

Would ChatGPT make things easier for such companies?

Well, the honest answer is, the chatbot cannot replace a human writer. It can’t come up with original ideas. And, it can only regurgitate information that is already published on the web.

So, no, if a company relies solely on ChatGPT for writing content, it will soon realise the content quality is not quite adequate.

(In some cases, the information it generates might even be wrong.)

However, the tool can be used as a tool in an organisation’s marketing efforts. The Entrepreneur lists three ways in which ChatGPT can be used to support a business’s content production.

Three Ways in Which ChatGPT Could Support a Business’s Marketing Content

According to the article, whilst there are limitations to what ChatGPT can do, the one thing it can do really well is respond to questions (or prompts) in a natural, human-like, way. 

The other thing it can do well is analysing information provided to give the prompter a reasoned response.

With these traits in mind, here’s how one can use ChatGPT in content production for their marketing.

1. Be Realistic With Expectations

It is easy to assume the answer generated by the AI is usable as SEO content in its original form. 

However, as expressed earlier, regurgitated data, even if it sounds fresh, is neither original nor creative.

So, one needs to be realistic about the capabilities of the AI. It can’t offer creative thoughts but it can be used to kickstart the creative process.

2. Be Clear and Comprehensive With Your Input

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking the chatbot is a smart person. 

It is not.

It is a computer—a smart computer capable of some form of learning, but a machine nonetheless.

As such, the concept of “Garbage In, Garbage Out”, or GIGO, applies to it as it does to any computer.

If marketers need a viable solution from ChatGPT, they would need to give it all the information. The article compares the chatbot to a freelance content writer. 

The professional’s skill is writing, not expertise in the client’s business. If the company wants the writer to produce high-value content, they would need to provide them with the relevant information.

Detailed Prompts Are Important

To avoid incomplete or irrelevant output, one needs to ensure that the chatbot is provided with detailed prompts.

The tool requires not only the right data points but also the right questions.

That would mean the marketing team would need to do its due diligence when it comes to research. It would need to identify the questions the company’s audiences are asking and the points to cover before it can ask the chatbot to come up with the answer.

3. Use ChatGPT As a Starting Point

As would be obvious from the previous points, ChatGPT may not replace human writers, but it can help them get started on content.

Using the right prompts, the chatbot can help provide topic ideas and suggestions. It can also generate an outline for the kind of content marketers need to write.

At a stretch, the tool can be used to generate a first draft which is then heavily edited by a human writer.

In short, ChatGPT is not a hack that will help marketers get easy results. However, it is a powerful tool that, if used correctly, can help make content generation much easier.

Read more about how ChatGPT could be used for keyword research.