Executive Foreword: AI Readiness Model for Operational Resilience (ARMOR)
WWT's ARMOR framework provides a practical and comprehensive AI security model. By embedding security from chip to cloud, ARMOR ensures resilience, enabling organizations to innovate confidently and achieve strategic goals in an interconnected, AI-driven landscape.
AI has not just emerged; it's erupting. From Fortune 500 boardrooms to public universities, it's reshaping how we innovate, govern and serve. At World Wide Technology (WWT), we see this transformation firsthand across industries. But with opportunity comes urgency. The rise of AI has exposed new vulnerabilities, and the stakes have never been higher. WWT's vantage point is clear. CISOs and technology leaders are racing to harness AI's potential while confronting a surge in data exposure, adversarial threats and regulatory complexity. Security and innovation can't sit on opposite sides of the table. Without a resilient security foundation, those gains risk being undone. Across sectors such as finance, healthcare, and manufacturing, the market demands a strategy that leads rather than just keeping pace.
WWT's AI Readiness Model for Operational Resilience (ARMOR) framework is the answer to this need. ARMOR's uniqueness comes from its practicality; each domain of the framework is shaped by experts drawing from their extensive expertise in the field. ARMOR is not a theoretical white paper, it's an actionable model born from real-world engagements, designed to be flexible enough for a school district or a global enterprise, while remaining rigorous enough to counter advanced persistent threats.
As the Vice President of WWT's Cyber organization, I am both a technologist and a witness to the rapid evolution of our digital landscape. In my experience, resilience is built, not bought. Point solutions aren't enough. True resilience demands foresight, integration and a framework that evolves with the threat landscape. ARMOR helps leaders answer the tough questions before adversaries or auditors do. With ARMOR, the path forward is clear. No AI without ARMOR. That's our standard. That's our conviction. With this framework, organizations can move forward boldly, knowing their AI initiatives are secured.
A journey through computing: From mainframes to AI-powered centralization
At World Wide Technology (WWT), we have observed computing's transformation from isolated systems to interconnected networks, each phase presenting new opportunities and security challenges. Artificial intelligence (AI) now enhances businesses to drive efficiency and competitiveness across industries. In the 1960s, mainframes, such as IBM's datacenter-scale systems, enabled digital growth for corporations, educational institutions and governments. The 1990s revolved around distributed networks with personal computers and client-server models. By the 2000s, cloud computing, led by platforms like AWS, enabled flexible workloads. In 2012, AlexNet's discovery in the ImageNet competition, powered by NVIDIA GPUs, marked the onset of modern AI computing, driving a shift to rack-scale supercomputers delivering petaflop performance for neural network training and inference.
AI platforms, such as the DGX SuperPOD™, and cloud services like Google's Gemini, AWS Bedrock, and Microsoft Azure AI, enable organizations to unlock business capabilities previously out of reach, driving innovation across industries. However, this new interconnected ecosystem highlights some security risks, such as data breaches, model tampering or adversarial inputs, that can undermine this positive change. The AI Readiness Model for Operational Resilience (ARMOR), developed by WWT in partnership with NVIDIA, addresses these risks through a comprehensive security framework. ARMOR aligns with organizational objectives, ensuring compliance across six domains: Governance Risk and Compliance (GRC), Model Security, Infrastructure Security, Secure AI Operations, Secure Development Lifecycle, and Data Protection.
Each ARMOR domain, authored by a WWT Cyber Practice specialist, provides practical insights based on deep expertise. The framework balances consistency with actionable guidance, serving both general readers seeking an overview and experts addressing specific challenges. For example, NVIDIA BlueField® DPU enables ARMOR's security measures at the hardware layer, protecting data and models in AI supercomputing environments. By embedding security from chip to cloud, ARMOR supports sustainable AI innovation, enabling executives to navigate deployment complexities with confidence.
ARMOR is built upon six domains, each addressing a critical aspect of security in this hybrid, AI-centric landscape:
- Governance, risk and compliance (GRC): Ensures AI operations align with regulatory requirements, organizational policies, and ethical standards, managing risks across on-premises and cloud environments.
- Model security: Protects AI models from threats such as poisoning, inversion attacks, and theft, ensuring integrity and reliability throughout their lifecycle.
- Infrastructure security: Secures the hardware and network foundation, including GPUs, DPUs, and cloud regions, to prevent unauthorized access or tampering.
- Secure AI operations: Enables real-time monitoring and rapid response to threats, ensuring secure operation of AI platforms in interconnected systems.
- Secure development lifecycle (SDLC): Embeds security into the development of AI software and services, mitigating vulnerabilities like prompt injection from design to deployment.
- Data protection: Safeguards datasets, whether stored locally connected storage or in a cloud data lake, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and regulatory compliance without stifling innovation
Addressing the expanded attack surface
This evolution presents a pivotal opportunity. As organizations blend on-premises AI platforms, like NVIDIA DGX™ SuperPOD, with cloud-based AI services, the need for seamless security becomes critical to unlocking value. Data moves between on-site systems and cloud environments, APIs link diverse tools, and new connection points emerge, creating a broader landscape for potential risks. A smart, streamlined security approach is essential to protect this chip-to-cloud ecosystem, from the hardware powering AI to the cloud services driving innovation.
ARMOR empowers businesses to accelerate return on investment (ROI) and fuel innovation by embedding intuitive security measures at every step. By simplifying protection across these integrated systems, ARMOR, in partnership with NVIDIA, ensures organizations can adopt AI swiftly and confidently. Aligned with top industry standards like NIST and ISO/IEC, ARMOR minimizes risks, safeguards critical assets, and unlocks the full potential of AI, enabling companies to innovate and achieve strategic goals in today's AI-driven market.
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This report is compiled from surveys WWT Research conducts with clients and internal experts; conversations and engagements with current and prospective clients, partners and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs); and knowledge acquired through lab work in the Advanced Technology Center and real-world client project experience. WWT provides this report "AS-IS" and disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information.