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15 Things AI Can’t Do in Cyber/SCADA Security
(That Only Humans Can)
Understand Organizational Context
Explanation: Humans understand business priorities, legal obligations, and cultural factors that impact security decisions.
Example: Deciding whether a SCADA system patch can be applied immediately or needs a phased rollout because the plant has critical live operations during peak hours. AI may suggest an automated patch without this context.
Make Ethical Decisions
Explanation: Humans can balance ethics versus operational necessity.
Example: Choosing not to shut down a chemical plant immediately after detecting malware to avoid a catastrophic environmental disaster, even if it increases short-term risk.
Interpret Ambiguous Threats
Explanation: AI relies on patterns; humans interpret unclear situations and intent.
Example: Detecting a subtle insider threat where normal system metrics look fine but human behavior (stress, unusual inquiries) signals risk.
Negotiate or Coordinate with Humans in Crisis
Explanation: Human-to-human communication and diplomacy can defuse tense situations.
Example: Convincing operations staff to temporarily halt production to prevent cyber damage without causing panic.
Adapt to Novel Attacks Without Prior Data
Explanation: AI needs historical examples to learn; humans can improvise in novel scenarios.
Example: Responding to a completely new type of zero-day attack targeting a legacy SCADA protocol.
Analyze Physical-Logical System Interaction
Explanation: Humans understand the real-world impact of cyber decisions on physical processes.
Example: Knowing that a sudden valve shutdown could cause overpressure and environmental harm, which AI may not fully model.
Exercise Judgment on False Positives
Explanation: AI may generate alarms without assessing operational context.
Example: Ignoring an alert that a water pump anomaly is actually due to scheduled maintenance.
Prioritize Risks Across Systems
Explanation: Humans weigh which threats are more critical.
Example: Deciding that a phishing attack on corporate email is less urgent than a malware threat on turbine control.
Understand Regulatory Nuances
Explanation: Compliance rules vary by country/industry; AI can misinterpret them.
Example: Adjusting SCADA network logging procedures to satisfy both NERC CIP and local privacy laws.
Perform Manual Incident Investigation
Explanation: Humans can piece together incomplete logs, physical evidence, and contextual info.
Example: Investigating suspicious plant activity when some sensors are offline and logs are partially corrupted.
Conduct Human-Targeted Threat Hunting
Explanation: Humans understand human behaviors better than AI.
Example: Recognizing social engineering attempts aimed at operators based on subtle email cues or personal circumstances.
Create Innovative Defense Strategies
Explanation: Humans think creatively beyond patterns.
Example: Designing a hybrid security control that leverages both digital and manual interventions in legacy SCADA systems.
Understand Long-Term Consequences
Explanation: Humans anticipate operational and environmental impact beyond immediate metrics.
Example: Choosing to delay applying a security fix because the immediate operational disruption would lead to more harm than a small security risk.
Communicate Threats to Stakeholders
Explanation: Humans explain technical risks in non-technical terms.
Example: Explaining to executives why a minor ICS intrusion could still lead to multi-million-dollar downtime.
Build Trust and Organizational Security Culture
Explanation: Humans can influence culture and motivate staff toward security mindfulness.
Example: Leading training sessions for SCADA operators to follow safe procedures, which AI cannot genuinely inspire or enforce.
15 Things AI Shouldn’t Do in Cyber/SCADA Security (Even if It Could)
Directly Control Critical Industrial Processes
Reason: AI lacks situational judgment and understanding of physical consequences.
Example: Automatically shutting down a nuclear reactor upon detecting minor anomalies could cause more harm than the attack.
Make Final Legal or Compliance Decisions
Reason: Regulatory obligations require human accountability.
Example: Approving changes in SCADA logging to comply with local law should always be human-verified.
Handle Sensitive Insider Threat Investigations Alone
Reason: Privacy and ethical considerations are complex.
Example: AI flagging a specific employee as malicious could lead to legal issues or HR conflicts if humans don’t review.
Bypass Human Authorization for Remediation
Reason: Autonomous responses could harm operations.
Example: AI isolating parts of a chemical plant network without human consent could interrupt critical production lines.
Make High-Stakes Risk Trade-offs
Reason: Humans are needed to balance security, safety, and business priorities.
Example: Choosing between halting water treatment for security or continuing operations at risk of contamination.
Alter System Architectures
Reason: Major configuration changes without oversight are dangerous.
Example: AI reorganizing SCADA network segmentation could unintentionally block legitimate operations.
Make Ethical Disclosures
Reason: Deciding when and how to notify authorities requires judgment.
Example: AI publicly releasing details of a vulnerability could violate law or increase risk.
Engage in Deception or Counter-Hacking
Reason: Legal and ethical boundaries prevent autonomous offensive actions.
Example: AI launching a counterattack against a suspected attacker could be illegal or escalate conflict.
Replace Human Incident Command
Reason: Humans coordinate complex teams and communicate priorities.
Example: AI leading a cross-department emergency response could mismanage priorities under stress.
Override Safety Protocols
Reason: Safety cannot be sacrificed for speed.
Example: AI ignoring SCADA safety interlocks during an emergency response.
Make Personnel Decisions
Reason: HR and ethical considerations are human responsibilities.
Example: Automatically terminating access for an employee flagged for unusual behavior could be unfair or mistaken.
Interpret Ambiguous Regulations Alone
Reason: AI may misread complex legal text.
Example: Misinterpreting industry standards and implementing incorrect security controls.
Decide on Public Communications
Reason: Messaging requires nuanced human judgment.
Example: Informing customers or media about a SCADA breach without human review could cause panic or liability.
Conduct Physical Security Operations
Reason: AI cannot interact safely with the physical environment.
Example: AI deciding to manually lock down a critical facility or move equipment during a cyber incident.
Make Decisions Involving Ethical Trade-offs Between Humans and Machines
Reason: Only humans can weigh moral consequences.
Example: Prioritizing SCADA system integrity over human life in emergencies is unacceptable for AI decision-making.
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