Use of GenAI in development raises security concerns

Most developers (85 percent) and security teams (75 percent) have security concerns over relying on GenAI to develop software.

A report from Legit Security, based on a survey of over 400 security professionals and software developers across North America, finds 96 percent of security and software development professionals report that their companies use GenAI-based solutions for building or delivering applications.

Among these respondents, 79 percent report that all or most of their development teams regularly use GenAI. However, 84 percent of security professionals are concerned about using code assistants and cite unknown and/or malicious code as their primary concern. While 98 percent believe that security teams need a better handle on how GenAI-based solutions are used in development. 94 percent report that they need more effective ways to manage GenAI use in their company's research and development efforts.

"As generative AI transforms software development and becomes increasingly embedded in the development lifecycle, there are some real security concerns among developers and security teams," says Liav Caspi, co-founder and CTO at Legit. "Our research found that teams are challenged with balancing the innovations of GenAI and the risks it introduces by exposing their applications and their software supply chain to new vulnerabilities. While GenAI is undoubtedly the future of software development, organizations must be mindful of its new risks and ensure they have the appropriate visibility into and control over its use."

More developers than security professionals report concern over loss of critical thinking due to AI use in development (eight percent compared to three percent). 95 percent of respondents predict that software developers will be more reliant on GenAI in the next five years, with none foreseeing reduced reliance.

The full report is available from the Legit Security site.

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