Malicious software attacks targeting corporate networks have become increasingly sophisticated, often bypassing traditional antivirus programs that re...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Malicious software attacks targeting corporate networks have become increasingly sophisticated, often bypassing traditional antivirus programs that rely on signature detection. Current AI-powered threat detection systems, while expensive and requiring specialized expertise, have proven highly effective at identifying previously unknown attack patterns. As these AI security systems demonstrate consistent success rates and their implementation costs decrease, they are becoming more accessible to smaller organizations, consequently ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
making traditional antivirus programs obsolete across all business sectors.
expanding comprehensive cybersecurity protection to a broader range of companies.
requiring businesses to hire more specialized cybersecurity personnel.
increasing the overall cost of corporate network security implementations.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Malicious software attacks targeting corporate networks have become increasingly sophisticated, often bypassing traditional antivirus programs that rely on signature detection.' |
|
| 'Current AI-powered threat detection systems, while expensive and requiring specialized expertise, have proven highly effective at identifying previously unknown attack patterns.' |
|
| 'As these AI security systems demonstrate consistent success rates and their implementation costs decrease, they are becoming more accessible to smaller organizations,' |
|
| 'consequently __________' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: AI-powered cybersecurity systems are becoming more accessible to smaller organizations as their effectiveness is proven and costs decrease.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes a cybersecurity problem (sophisticated attacks bypassing traditional defenses), presents AI-powered systems as an effective but initially expensive solution, then describes how decreasing costs and proven success are making these systems accessible to smaller organizations. The blank asks us to identify the logical consequence of this increased accessibility.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The passage establishes that AI security systems are effective but were initially too expensive for smaller organizations
- Now that costs are decreasing and effectiveness is proven, smaller organizations can access these systems
- The consequence should logically relate to what happens when more organizations (especially smaller ones) can now afford effective cybersecurity protection
- Key elements the correct answer must have:
- Should reflect the expansion of access to effective security
- Should connect to smaller organizations now being able to afford AI systems
- Should be a natural result of the cost decrease and proven effectiveness
making traditional antivirus programs obsolete across all business sectors.
- Claims traditional antivirus becomes 'obsolete across all business sectors'
- Too extreme - the passage does not suggest complete elimination of traditional systems
- Trap: Students might think 'bypassing' means 'completely replacing,' but the passage only shows AI systems becoming more accessible
expanding comprehensive cybersecurity protection to a broader range of companies.
- Directly follows from the passage logic: if effective AI systems become accessible to smaller organizations, then comprehensive protection expands to more companies
- Uses 'broader range of companies' which directly connects to smaller organizations now being able to afford these systems
requiring businesses to hire more specialized cybersecurity personnel.
- Suggests businesses need to hire more specialized personnel
- Contradicts the accessibility trend - if systems are becoming more accessible, they should not require more specialized staff
- Trap: Students might connect 'specialized expertise' from earlier in the passage, but miss that the accessibility trend suggests the opposite outcome
increasing the overall cost of corporate network security implementations.
- Claims overall security costs are increasing
- Directly contradicts the passage emphasis on 'implementation costs decrease'
- Goes against the entire logic of the passage about improved accessibility through cost reduction