It’s no secret: businesses around the world implementation of artificial intelligence to gain a competitive advantage in their sector of activity. AI could have a outsized impact on business cybersecurityalso, according to a new study of 2,486 IT and security professionals, conducted by Google Cloud and the Cloud Security Alliance.
Fifty-five percent of companies worldwide plan to use AI to improve their cybersecurity in 2024, according to the study. State of AI and Security Survey Report. The survey also reveals that 21% of IT decision-makers believe AI can help them create security policies and 19% say attack simulation and compliance violations could ultimately be the case. most likely cybersecurity usage in 2024.
“The advent of AI in cybersecurity marks an era of transformation in digital defense, bringing a mix of promising advances and complex challenges,” the researchers wrote in their survey. “AI has the potential to be a critical ally in strengthening security defenses, identifying emerging threats and facilitating digital defense. quick responses. »
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Not everyone is so sure AI will necessarily improve security in their organization: only 63% of respondents agree with this sentiment. The remaining 36% were either neutral or disagreed that AI would play an important role in improving their cybersecurity. The survey highlights a stubborn divide between those who analyze AI: those who think it will have a significant and potentially transformative impact on business and those who think it could cause more problems than it’s not worth it.
In fact, a quarter of survey respondents said they thought AI would ultimately benefit hackers and other bad actors with malicious intentions, and 9% of respondents said they were unsure which side would benefit most from AI. The same percentage of respondents (34%) said AI would ultimately benefit cybersecurity professionals.
Regardless, IT professionals don’t necessarily view AI as a threat to their jobs. The majority of respondents (30%) said AI would likely “enhance” their skills and 28% said it would likely support them in their cybersecurity roles.
“These results highlight that while AI will bring significant changes to security teams, it is primarily seen as a complementary tool rather than a complete replacement,” the researchers said. “It is intended to help fill the skills and knowledge gaps that have plagued the industry, but there are healthy concerns about an over-reliance on it.”
What about the C-suite?
The study also found that senior executives, who are often not as fully engaged or informed about the changing nature of technology, are fully invested in AI. Seventy-four percent of IT professionals say their leadership team is at least moderately knowledgeable about AI and how it can be used in the business, while 82% say the push for AI AI in business is not driven by IT, but rather by senior management. . Interestingly, IT professionals said their senior managers also appear to have more AI knowledge than their direct reports.
“Leading executives demonstrate significantly higher reported familiarity with AI technologies than their staff,” the survey found. “For example, 52% of senior managers say they are very familiar with generative AI, compared to just 11% of staff members. »
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Looking ahead, researchers see no signs that AI cybersecurity tools are losing their luster in the corporate world. However, they warned that implementing AI tools too quickly – and doing so without staff training – could lead to missteps and unintended consequences.
“This complex picture underscores the need for a balanced and informed approach to integrating AI into cybersecurity,” the researchers wrote, “combining strategic leadership with comprehensive staff engagement and training to effectively navigate the changing cyber threat landscape.
