If you’re looking to incorporate ChatGPT into your job, training, or personal projects, we get it. This AI tool can be a great addition to your toolbox.
So, if you want to learn more, this article will help you understand the numerous benefits of utilizing ChatGPT to assist with various cyber security tasks.
We'll discuss the role of AI and ChatGPT in cyber security and practical applications, help you get started using it, and finally, explore how you can leverage ChatGPT in your day-to-day job as a cyber security training tool and create projects that enhance your skills or resume.
If you're ready to dive into using ChatGPT for cyber security, let's begin.
The Role of AI and ChatGPT for Cyber Security
Over the last few years, AI tools have advanced significantly, and it’s now in use for everything from customer service chatbots to self-driving cars.
This technology has revolutionized many industries by increasing efficiency and streamlining processes, ultimately improving user experience and cost savings.
This is also the case for cyber security, where there has been a major shift in how those in the field have embraced it as a tool rather than something to be scared of.
For example, AI has enabled organizations to detect and respond to cyber attacks in real time, allowing for quicker and more effective risk mitigation.
AI systems can process vast amounts of data at incredible speeds and much faster than humans. See 10 Examples of AI in Cyber Security (Latest Research) for more information.
So why should you consider using an AI model like ChatGPT?
ChatGPT, which can generate human-like responses, will play an increasingly vital role in all areas of cyber security, such as threat actor detection, vulnerability assessment, security awareness training, automation of routine tasks, customer support, security incidents management, and more.
Having said all of this, you may wonder if AI will replace cyber security jobs.
While AI will undoubtedly change the landscape of cyber security jobs, it’s more likely to augment rather than replace human roles. The human element in cyber security, including critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability, will continue to be essential in addressing evolving threats.
Practical Applications of AI for Cyber Security
Let’s quickly discuss some practical applications of AI for cyber security.
AI is not just a new buzzword—it's a tool that can enhance the lives of students and professionals alike.
For example, ChatGPT can be used for cyber security jobs to help automate report generation, assist with incident management, and create compliance checklists.
As a tool for cyber security training, it can help develop courses and awareness training to prevent social engineering attacks, complete a CTF, and prepare for cyber security exams.
You can also use ChatGPT to help with personal projects such as creating practice labs, tools, and plugins, creating a video series for YouTube, and even creating your own custom GPT.
Beware that ChatGPT isn’t perfect and can make mistakes. You need to verify the information before taking action based on its suggestions.
It's always important to use critical thinking and not solely rely on AI-generated content for important decisions.
Also, ensure you never share sensitive data or personal information with ChatGPT, as it can use the information you share to generate responses to others. This is especially true regarding proprietary business or PII (personally identifiable information).
It's important to prioritize privacy and security while interacting with AI models such as ChatGPT.
Getting Started With ChatGPT for Cyber Security
Before using ChatGPT, you must decide whether to use the free or paid version, also called “Plus.” ChatGPT is provided by OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research lab based in San Francisco. Their mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.
Free ChatGPT (GPT-3.5)
The free ChatGPT, powered by GPT-3.5 and not requiring an account, is good enough for general inquiries and everyday tasks. It's designed for those who need assistance with content creation, such as generating text, resolving simple queries, or casual interaction.
However, it's limited by a daily usage cap and cannot browse the web or process up-to-date information. It’s also slower during peak times due to lower priority on server access.
ChatGPT Plus (GPT-4)
ChatGPT Plus, which costs $20 per month and requires an account, brings the capabilities of GPT-4, OpenAI's most advanced AI model to date.
This version is good for you if you need high-performance AI interactions, including faster response times, higher usage limits, and early access to new features.
Capabilities include understanding and generating responses based on a larger memory, handling complex queries more accurately—including file upload and analyses—and providing multimodal responses (text, images, and voice).
ChatGPT-4o
ChatGPT-4o, part of OpenAI's premium offering, builds on GPT-4 with enhanced understanding and extended context handling, making it ideal for complex problem-solving and detailed content generation.
This version supports real-time data, advanced multimodal interactions (text, images, and voice), and provides faster response times due to priority server access. It also allows for customizable AI behavior to suit specific needs.
ChatGPT-4o is perfect for professionals, researchers, and developers who need high-fidelity AI assistance for demanding tasks.
Two other AI models worth mentioning are ChatGPT-5 and Claude.
ChatGPT-5
ChatGPT-5 is expected to release as soon as summer of 2024, but not a great deal is confirmed about it yet. We do know it is intended to be able to handle much longer prompts, automatically switch between tools (such as DALL-E), have access to larger datasets, and be “a little bit better at everything,” according to Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI).
Claude AI
Claude AI, developed by Anthropic, is another LLM currently in version three. Some reviews have stated that Claude sounds more “human” in it’s responses than the more robotic ChatGPT.
It is worth trying different AI models to see what best suits your particular needs.
Custom GPT Bots
With the Plus plan, OpenAI allows you to use or create custom GPTs.
GPTs can be customized to perform various tasks by giving specific instructions, knowledge, and skills, making them versatile tools in cyber security.
GPTs can be used for various aspects of cyber security. Examples include threat detection and response, security automation, incident reporting, and analysis. Organizations can even create custom GPTs for specific security risks and needs.
Consider using GPTs when you need specialized cyber security knowledge and expertise built by others who can provide a more tailored solution.
These custom-built GPTs can benefit various cyber security applications, such as career development, secure coding practices, blue team operations, red team simulations, and other domain-specific tasks.
For more information, see our article Top 18 Cyber Security GPTs and How to Use Them.
ChatGPT for Cyber Security Jobs
Let’s discuss how you can use ChatGPT while on the job.
While it can help you with many tasks, the main purpose is efficiency. While there are many uses for ChatGPT on the job, we’ll show you four examples below, demoing one of them.
Automated Report Generation
ChatGPT can streamline the creation of various security reports, such as incident reports, audit summaries, and regular security status updates. Automating these processes ensures that reports are produced quickly and consistently, allowing security personnel to focus on analysis and decision-making rather than routine documentation.
Threat Intelligence and Analysis
ChatGPT can sift through massive amounts of data, such as logs and threat intelligence feeds, to identify patterns or anomalies that might indicate the presence of threat actors. This can significantly speed up the threat detection process and free up human analysts and security teams to focus on more complex tasks.
Incident Response
Quick and effective communication is crucial during a cyber security incident. ChatGPT can help draft notifications for stakeholders, generate reports, and even guide less experienced staff through the steps of the incident response protocol, ensuring a coherent and coordinated approach.
Create Compliance Checklists
Compliance with industry standards and regulations is a major component of cyber security. ChatGPT can automate the creation of compliance checklists that align with specific regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS. It can also update these checklists as regulations change, ensuring ongoing compliance without requiring extensive manual oversight.
Let’s see how easy it is to have ChatGPT create a PCI-DSS compliance checklist for you. This checklist will ensure your organization follows all necessary security protocols and protects sensitive customer data.
Here’s the prompt we’re using.
I need you to generate a comprehensive compliance checklist for the payment card industry data security standard (PCI-DSS). This checklist should cover all the requirements and controls outlined in the latest version of the PCI-DSS standard. The checklist should be organized clearly and structured, with each requirement and its associated sub-requirements listed separately. Also, please provide a brief explanation or description for each requirement to ensure a clear understanding of what needs to be addressed for compliance. The goal is to create a practical and actionable checklist that our organization can use to evaluate our current security posture, identify gaps, and implement the necessary measures to achieve and maintain PCI-DSS compliance effectively.
Here’s the checklist that GPT creates for us.
ChatGPT for Cyber Security Training
ChatGPT can be a great resource if you want to learn about cyber security or need to create training material for your workplace or organization. Let’s look at four examples where we’ll demo one of them for you.
Course Creation
ChatGPT can be an excellent resource for helping you set up a course outline. It can give you ideas on what should be included and how to organize it most efficiently. It can even suggest relevant topics, subtopics, and learning objectives to cover based on the subject.
Awareness Training
Using ChatGPT as a tool in awareness training can prove invaluable. It can create phishing and social engineering attacks, such as emails you can send to your employees to see who bites. You can also use it to create quizzes or interactive scenarios to test their knowledge of best practices. By simulating real-life situations, employees can better understand the importance of staying vigilant and protecting sensitive information.
CTF Help
Another great aspect of ChatGPT is its ability to help you through a CTF (capture the flag) challenge, such as those ethical hackers participate in. You can provide it with information about your end goal, and it can walk you through each step, one by one. From initial scanning to enumeration and eventually exploiting security vulnerabilities, ChatGPT can offer guidance, tips, and explanations to help you complete the challenge.
Exam Preparation
One of ChatGPT's most significant benefits is its ability to assist in preparing for exams, such as those from CompTIA, where you must thoroughly understand the syllabus and numerous concepts. It can help you grasp challenging topics by providing explanations and examples and generating practice questions to reinforce your understanding and preparedness for exam day.
We’ll show you how to use it to help you prepare for the Security+ exam. We’ll use a custom GPT specifically set up for this task.
We are using the Security+ 701 Exam Coach GPT. To use custom GPTs, you’ll need a paid subscription.
With this GPT, we get four conversation starters. Alternatively, we can give it other prompts. Let’s start by asking it to test us on RAID.
Let’s select our answer.
It even provides us with the reason our answer is correct, which is beneficial for learning and understanding the material more deeply.
You can also ask questions if you’re unsure about a topic or want to understand it better. Let’s ask it to explain the difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption.
Explain the difference between asymmetric and symmetric encryption and how I can remember the difference for the exam.
These are just a few examples of what ChatGPT can do to help you with training, whether you’re a student or an instructor.
ChatGPT Cyber Security Projects
ChatGPT is an excellent tool for on-the-job tasks or creating training materials, and it can also help you develop projects for fun, practice, or build your resume and portfolio. Here are four examples of how you can use ChatGPT with one demo.
Designing and Creating Practice Labs
ChatGPT can help you design and create practice labs, including setting up specific challenges or simulations. It can also assist you in scripting the automation of lab setups. This might include writing scripts to configure virtual machines, deploy applications, or generate network traffic.
Developing Tools and Plugins
ChatGPT can help you brainstorm ideas for new tools or plugins based on your needs or gaps in existing tools. It can also provide development steps, including advice on which programming languages, libraries, and frameworks might be most effective.
Creating a Custom GPT
You can also create your own cyber security GPT that can be used for various functions. Creating one is as easy as starting a conversation, where you provide it with instructions and knowledge and decide what it can do, such as searching the web, creating images, or analyzing data. The best part is that no coding expertise is required on your end.
Creating a Blog or Video Series
ChatGPT can help you create and manage a blog or video series by assisting with ideas, SEO optimization, and audience engagement. It can help generate topic ideas, draft and refine posts, suggest SEO strategies, and develop social media content to promote your series.
Let’s see how easily this can be accomplished using the power of ChatGPT.
Help me plan a comprehensive video series on web application penetration testing for YouTube.
Here is the breakdown we’re given.
ChatGPT breaks down the production, planning, promotion, and engagement strategies and provides feedback. You can always ask for more detailed help at every step of the process.
Overall, ChatGPT can be of great help when completing skills-development projects or enhancing your portfolio.
Conclusion
As you can see, using ChatGPT for cyber security has many benefits and applications.
You've seen how it can be used on the job, as a training aid, and to help you create projects to practice and enhance your skills.
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