Tenable, the Exposure Management company, has published a new study revealing that 68% of organisations plan to harness generative AI (GenAI) within the next 12 months to enhance security measures and align IT objectives with broader business goals.
Despite this surge in adoption, the study also reveals a worrying trend, as only 17% of organisations demonstrate high confidence in effectively implementing GenAI technologies.
The data is drawn from a global study titled How to Discover, Analyze and Respond to Threats Faster with Generative AI, a commissioned study of 826 IT and cybersecurity professionals at large enterprises in Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Japan, the UK and US, conducted in October 2023 by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Tenable. The research sheds light on the growing adoption of GenAI within businesses, marking a significant pivot in their strategic focus.
The study reveals a sense of hopeful anticipation among security leaders regarding the capacity of GenAI to enhance security measures. Nevertheless, it also accentuates the intricate nature of the path towards AI integration, as organisations navigate the delicate balance between innovation and potential risks.
An aspect of concern highlighted by the study is the perception of GenAI as a greater security threat than an opportunity among 41% of organisations. This sentiment reflects widespread apprehension regarding cybersecurity risks associated with GenAI implementation. Additionally, internal misuse of GenAI emerges as a prominent concern, with 50% of respondents expressing worry about potential misuse within their organisations.
Moreover, the study emphasises the importance of data quality and integrity in the success of GenAI initiatives. A resounding 74% of respondents stress that GenAI’s effectiveness heavily depends on the quality of data utilised by organisations. This underscores the indispensable role of data governance and management in ensuring the efficacy of GenAI applications.
“While GenAI offers immense benefits, there are also serious concerns surrounding security, governance and data quality,” said David Cummins, Senior VP of EMEA at Tenable. “GenAI can help bring data together from various sources, making it easier for organisations to understand and manage these complexities. However, it’s imperative that these decisions are based on reliable data. If you have unique data then you’re going to have unique intelligence guiding decisions – or ‘gold in, gold out’.
“Every organisation’s attack surface is expanding given the growing use of cloud services, virtualisation platforms, microservices, applications and code libraries. This means organisations face vulnerabilities, cloud misconfigurations, and risks tied to identity access, groups and permissions. Harnessed correctly, GenAI can help security teams quickly identify exposures, prioritise actions and see connections across the entire attack surface.”