Westpac looks to security use cases for ChatGPT

Westpac’s cyber security teams are factoring ChatGPT's capabilities into their thinking and planning as the bank explores possible use cases for the generative AI technology.

Chief information security officer Richard Johnson told an AWS Summit Sydney roundtable that the technology “certainly won't be the last” advancement in artificial intelligence that his team has to find a way to secure.

“Like every technology that's come before it, it's an advancement and something that we need to embrace, understand and work with,” Johnson said.

“We need to understand how to secure that capability on an ongoing basis and we need to look at the opportunities of how we can leverage that in cyber [security]."

The bank is said to be "currently experimenting with generative AI to understand how it can be leveraged safely", and Johnson saw opportunities for the bank if the technology is "used correctly”.

"Within cyber security we’re always focused on understanding how technology like AI can be used to improve cyber defences while also ensuring any use of it across our business is robust and secure with the right controls in place to mitigate attack risks," Johnson said.

"While ChatGPT is new, the associated risks with this technology and AI generally are something we’ve tracked for years, ensuring we’re well-informed and are building appropriate security settings early.”

He also said Westpac pays "close attention to how these technologies evolve, as well as any reports of how attackers may be using them, and we continue to adapt our controls to keep our business and our customers protected.”