Securing the Future of AI: A Roadmap for CISOs
The AI revolution is here. CISOs must champion the secure and innovative use of AI across the entire organization to unlock its full potential amid the expanding threat landscape.
Balance AI innovation and risk
AI technologies hold incredible promise for reducing risk, enabling revenue and improving operational efficiency across all business units. From financial reporting and auditing to improving customer experience, the potential use cases are virtually endless. It's likely many of these AI applications are already being used with varying levels of security.
Build a holistic AI security program that encompasses the entire organization
Security needs to be an elemental part of every AI initiative. A robust AI security program extends beyond the cybersecurity team, spanning all business units and AI use cases. Your strategy should address:
- Security of AI systems and applications, including first-party and third-party models.
- Adoption and secure usage of AI across the enterprise, including GenAI websites, agents, assistants, co-pilots, mobile applications and third-party integrations with existing SaaS providers.
- AI for cybersecurity, including using AI to improve and automate your existing programs as well as defend against adversarial use of AI.
Recognize and anticipate AI's biggest threats
AI adoption is accelerating rapidly. Among many emerging threats, two prominent AI risks loom large: deepfakes and shadow AI. Deepfakes, fabricated media often indistinguishable from authentic content, pose a significant risk to organizations, undermining trust and integrity of security systems. Shadow AI — instances where employees use AI without approval from IT departments or security teams — creates security blind spots, data vulnerability and compliance risks. CISOs need to understand and prepare to meet these challenges head on.
Protect AI and data through an AI security and governance program
Most organizations start their AI journey based on use cases, but a governance program needs to be built in parallel to address fairness, bias, discrimination, safety and security. Key action items include establishing an AI Center of Excellence (AICoE), defining roles and responsibilities, fostering a culture of security awareness, and implementing AI-specific security measures such as vulnerability management and red team exercises.
In the age of AI, cybersecurity programs require a combination of traditional approaches (such as segmentation, perimeter next-gen firewalls, encryption, patching, identity and access management (IAM), and data governance) along with specialized solutions tailored to the unique challenges posed by AI technologies (like proxies, gateways and firewalls tailored to large language models). It's quickly becoming a complex and crowded vendor landscape that CISOs must navigate adeptly.
Use AI to enhance your overall security posture
Utilizing AI to enhance your overall security posture is a strategic imperative. AI-driven security capabilities offer a potent countermeasure against the scale, speed and sophistication of modern cyber threats. CISOs should evaluate existing platforms for AI features before investing in new tools and conduct lab evaluations and proofs of concept to validate capabilities.
Keep pace with increasing AI regulations across the globe
CISOs must ensure their organizations comply with increasing AI regulations worldwide to avoid the risk of penalties and reputational damage. Data privacy, bias mitigation, transparency, accountability and societal impact are central considerations in regulations such as the European Union's AI Act and the White House Executive Order on AI.
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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.