Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2024. Read them in this 16th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
CISOs will need to navigate the risks and rewards of AI
By Eric Fourrier, CEO and Co-Founder, GitGuardian
As the rapid growth and deployment of AI continues, CISOs will face the challenge of balancing the risks and benefits associated with this technology. According to Gartner, 68% of executives believe that the benefits of generative AI outweigh the risks, while only 5% feel the risks outweigh the benefits. However, as investments in AI deepen, this perspective may shift. CISOs must take charge of the situation and address the questions that arise with the development and deployment of generative AI.
There are four major axes that will be impacted by AI for CISOs. Firstly, understanding the risks and benefits of AI is crucial, encompassing trust, privacy, and ethical questions. For example, the use of third-party vendors for generative AI introduces data exposure risks, as the level of protection controls offered by these vendors is often unclear. Secondly, CISOs need to prepare for attacks powered by generative AI. The increased sophistication of email attacks made possible by generative AI tools is a significant concern for cybersecurity stakeholders. Thirdly, leveraging generative AI for defense will be essential, as legacy security controls are insufficient to protect against new attack vectors. Lastly, securing enterprise initiatives to build generative AI applications will be required by business stakeholders. CISOs and security teams must ensure these initiatives are secure, especially when using third-party vendors.
In the short term, educating employees on the risks associated with generative AI and establishing a committee to evaluate its legitimate use within the organization will be a priority. CISOs should develop a risk-based framework to guide decision-making and protect against misuse or poor use of AI. They should also consider deploying private models on their own infrastructure or using secure cloud environments to mitigate risks. By proactively addressing these challenges, CISOs can effectively balance the risks and benefits of AI in 2024 and the years to come.
Boards will prioritize cybersecurity expertise in response to evolving threat landscape
The perception of cybersecurity on the board of US companies is expected to undergo a significant shift. As reporting regulations continue to evolve and place greater emphasis on the board’s knowledge and response to cybersecurity threats, companies will recognize the need for cybersecurity expertise among their directors. This will lead to a concerted effort to recruit board members with relevant cybersecurity and risk management experience or provide training to existing directors.
The financial impact of recent security incidents, such as the MGM ransomware attack and Clorox breach, has heightened awareness among board members about the bottom-line implications of cybersecurity threats. Additionally, new regulations from the US Security Exchange Commission (SEC) on disclosure will further drive the need for cybersecurity expertise on boards. As a result, boards will prioritize building cybersecurity knowledge and ensuring they have the necessary expertise to effectively navigate the evolving risk landscape.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Eric Fourrier, co-founder of GitGuardian, is an engineer who graduated from Ecole Centrale and has also a degree in machine learning from Ecole normale superieure in Paris. He first worked as a data scientist in the United States in the financial sector and then began his entrepreneurial journey by founding first Quantiops, a consulting firm specializing in big data analysis, and then GitGuardian in 2017.
