By Faraz Siraj, vice president of global channels and alliances, Fortra
The pressure to adopt artificial intelligence isn’t going away in 2027. Companies will keep looking for ways to use AI to improve productivity and automate work. But many are still figuring out how to manage the security and risk that come with it. As AI moves from experimentation into everyday business use, those questions will become much harder to separate from the technology itself.
That will shape some important changes in the year ahead. Security will become part of AI conversations much earlier, while data protection will take on greater importance as AI systems gain access to more business information. Growing geopolitical and cyber risk will also force more companies to think seriously about what happens when prevention isn’t enough.
AI adoption will make security part of every business decision
For many organizations, the first phase of AI was about experimentation. Teams tested tools and ran pilots to figure out where AI could actually be useful. In 2027, more of those experiments will move into day-to-day operations, changing the kinds of questions companies need to ask.
It’s no longer enough to look at what an AI system can do. Companies also need to understand what information it can access, what decisions it can influence and where a person needs to stay involved. That becomes especially important when AI systems have access to sensitive business data or customer information, or depend on outside models and services that organizations may not fully control.
As AI becomes more embedded in business processes, security can’t be something that gets added after a project is underway. Those conversations need to happen earlier, when companies are deciding how and where AI should be used. Customers will also need practical guidance on what data an AI system should have access to and where human oversight makes sense.
The companies that get the most from AI won’t necessarily be the ones that move the fastest. They’ll be the ones that understand the risks well enough to make informed decisions about where AI fits and where boundaries are needed.
Data will become the new security perimeter
Infrastructure and endpoint security aren’t going away, but AI makes the data itself even more important. AI is useful because of the information it can work with. The problem is that many companies still don’t have a clear picture of what sensitive data they have or who has access to it, and AI can magnify that problem quickly.
In 2027, companies will need to pay closer attention to how sensitive information is identified and protected throughout its lifecycle. They’ll also need better visibility into who can access that information and how it’s being used, especially as data moves between employees, applications, partners and AI systems.
There won’t be one product or policy that solves this. Companies will need a clearer view of their data and the systems interacting with it. The focus will increasingly shift from simply knowing where information is stored to understanding how it is accessed and used.
Cyber resilience will become a business requirement
I also expect resilience to get more attention in 2027. Cyberattacks aren’t just about stealing information. Some are designed to interrupt operations or create uncertainty, and the overlap between nation-state activity and cybercrime makes that risk harder to ignore. Companies can’t plan as if every attack can be stopped.
Prevention still matters, but organizations also have to prepare for the possibility that an attacker gets through. That means knowing how quickly an incident can be detected and how critical systems will be restored. Companies also need to understand what has to come back online first so the business can keep operating while recovery is underway.
This isn’t only a security team issue. A serious cyber incident can quickly affect communications, legal obligations, business operations and customer relationships. Companies need to understand those connections before an incident happens, including which processes are most critical and where dependencies could slow down recovery.
Security, data and resilience will come together
In 2027, it will become harder to treat AI adoption, data security and cyber resilience as separate conversations. Companies that adopt AI without understanding what information those systems can access create unnecessary risk. And even companies that protect their data can struggle if they aren’t prepared to keep operating when something goes wrong.
The answer isn’t to slow down AI adoption or put so many restrictions around it that employees can’t use it effectively. Companies need to understand what they’re connecting to AI, what information they’re exposing and how they’ll respond if something goes wrong. Trusted advisors can help customers work through those questions and make practical decisions about how AI fits into the business.
By 2027, the AI conversation and the security conversation will increasingly be the same conversation.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Faraz Siraj is vice president of global channels and alliances at global cybersecurity company Fortra. A seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in the tech industry, Siraj specializes in sales and partnerships. Recognized for his leadership and strategic vision, he has been instrumental in driving growth and innovation across various organizations.
