AI governance: Five essential design principles to keep businesses ahead of the curve
In 2023, we witnessed the beginnings of a global AI-driven revolution. With recent studies revealing that one in six UK organizations have already embraced artificial intelligence (AI), these technologies have solidified their position in driving the next wave of digital innovation.
However, until now, organizations have been largely focused on AI experimentation, which has limited the benefits they’ve unlocked. They are now seeking to mature their strategies and embrace AI in a more transformational manner, by embedding these technologies into their core business processes. The launch of solutions like the Open AI GPT Store towards the end of 2023 is set to accelerate this drive for AI maturity, making it easier for organizations to embed ready-built use cases into their operations.
How AI can help app developers keep up with changing regulations [Q&A]
A changing regulatory landscape can prove difficult for app developers as they need to make sure they remain compliant and keep up with evolving rule sets.
We spoke to Pedro Rodriguez, head of engineering at AI-powered compliance intelligence platform Checks, to find out how AI can help mobile app developers to handle data responsibly and keep up with ever-changing global regulations,
Generative AI: Approaching the crossroads of innovation and ethics
As the recent hype and excitement around Generative AI (GenAI) begins to settle somewhat, we are entering a critical phase where innovation must be more closely aligned with ethical considerations. The impact of AI is already evident in various aspects of life, pointing to a future where, ideally, its use is not only widespread but also guided by principled decision-making. In this context, the emphasis should be on using AI to address appropriate problems, not just any problem.
In particular, the early iterations of GenAI platforms have demonstrated their potential but also the need for careful application. In many organizations, GenAI has already improved both customer and employee experiences, with advanced chatbots capable of mimicking human interaction taking automated customer service to a whole new level by providing quick and relevant responses. In an ideal world, this use case highlights AI’s dual purpose: to enhance human capabilities while maintaining a focus on human-centred experiences.
Insider threats: Don't underestimate the dangers within
As we look ahead to the coming year, Trellix Advanced Research Centre recently shared its predictions for 2024. Among them, it highlighted that as connected devices continue to proliferate, and hybrid and remote workforces persist, insider threats will only continue to grow.
This expected increase is especially worrying as research has already shown that breaches caused by employees have seen a 47 percent increase over the last two years, whether accidental or malicious. Annually, 34 percent of all businesses will suffer an insider threat incident, costing an estimated eye-watering $15.38m per occurrence, so the predicted increase is particularly frightening.
Putting individuals back in charge of their own identities
From letting hotels keep copies of our passports to handing over IDs for car hire or air travel, we seldom think twice about the implications of physically sharing our identity documents. By now, we’ve gotten accustomed to exchanging personal information in return for a product or service we value -- but we need to be more vigilant at a time when identity fraud is jumping as much as 37 percent.
Proof of a person’s identity is the key to accessing goods, services, financial accounts, and opportunities -- which makes identity a valuable target, motivating fraudsters to try to gain our trust to trick us into disclosing our personal information so they can impersonate us. They also hack into identity databases that store personal information of millions of consumers. As a result, the frequency of data breaches has increased exponentially. In fact in 2022 alone, identity theft reached a staggering $42 billion in the US.
ChatGPT one year on: Why IT departments are scrambling to keep up
We’re nearly one year on since ChatGPT burst onto the scene. In a technology world full of hype, this has been truly disruptive and permanently changed the way we work. It has also left IT departments scrambling to keep up – what are the risks of using AI? Can I trust the apps with my data?
Should we ban altogether or wait, and see? But if we ban it, is there a risk of being left behind as other companies innovate?
Embracing the future: How AI is transforming security and networking
Network management and security should go hand in hand. However, making these services work has become more complicated and riskier due to the growth of the public cloud, the use of software applications, and the need to integrate different solutions together.
This complex network security domain requires more skilled cybersecurity professionals. But as this need becomes obvious, so does the glaring skills gap. In the UK, half of all businesses face a fundamental shortfall in cybersecurity skills, and 30 percent grapple with more complex, advanced cybersecurity expertise deficiencies.
GenAI and its hallucinations: A guide for developers and security teams
With the rapid proliferation of Generative AI (GenAI), developers are increasingly integrating tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, Bard, and Claude into their workflows. According to OpenAI, over 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies are already using GenAI tools to some extent, whilst a separate report shows that 83 percent of developers are using AI-tools to speed up coding.
However, this enthusiasm for GenAI needs to be balanced with a note of caution as it also brings a wave of security challenges that are easily overlooked. For many organizations, the rapid adoption of these tools has outpaced the enterprise's understanding of their inherent security vulnerabilities. This would yield a set of blocking policies for example, Italy had at one point this year completely blocked usage of GPT, which is never the answer.
This misalignment could not only compromise an organization’s data integrity but also impact its overall cyber resilience. So, how should AppSec teams, developers, and business leaders respond to the security challenges that accompany the widespread use of GenAI?
Mission data privacy: Empowering consumers in an era of rapid change
Whether browsing online for clothes or catching up on the latest news, we’ve all had that unwanted internet cookie pop-up appear. At face-value they may seem harmless, but cookies are a goldmine of private information, posing a serious risk to your data privacy. Today, consumers face a new predicament surrounding attitudes toward their valuable data. When personal data is stolen by a cybercriminal, that offense is the online equivalent of a physical robbery, but the severity of data theft is being overlooked.
From a regulatory standpoint, concerns over data privacy have prompted stricter actions from governments and organizations globally as they try to grapple with the challenge of striking a balance between data security and user privacy. Now, in response to increasingly sophisticated criminal tactics, there must be a shift from slow, reactive regulation towards adopting more proactive strategies that both anticipate and mitigate against potential risks. This will be key to shaping a secure, privacy-conscious future.
How the EU's new AI Act will affect businesses [Q&A]
The European Union first proposed introducing a regulatory framework for AI back in 2021, the wheels of politics inevitably grind slowly, however, and it's still working on legislation to bolster regulations on the development and use of artificial intelligence.
The proposed Artificial Intelligence Act has sparked a good deal of debate in the industry with many worried that it could harm business competitiveness.
Is banning the right solution to dealing with problem apps? [Q&A]
Lots of apps are potentially transmitting and saving user data without express permission and this has led some administrations to consider bans.
In May, Montana passed the first bill to ban TikTok statewide due to data concerns, and India has banned 60 apps, including TikTok, claiming they were transmitting user data back to China.
Generative AI washing: Avoid jumping the gun by laying the groundwork for successful adoption
Quite rightly, many businesses are excited about generative AI and the benefits it can bring. This year ChatGPT reported more than 100 million users, and the market value of generative AI is expected to grow year-on-year.
Currently, it makes sense that businesses want to get in on the act, but many are facing significant challenges navigating generative AI’s rapid emergence. There’s a risk of moving too quickly. It is difficult for businesses to confidently predict how beneficial generative AI will be. In some cases, it could even prove more of a hindrance than a help.
De-risk your business through regulatory resilience
Transatlantic data flows underpin more than $7 trillion in cross-border trade and investment per year, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The recently announced EU-US Data Privacy Framework (TADPF), in place as of July 10 2023, is expected to further promote opportunity and economic fruitfulness on both sides of the Atlantic.
However, many are rightfully questioning the staying power of this latest version of the TADPF. Will it be third-time lucky or Groundhog Day all over again? Against this backdrop of uncertainty, many companies must evaluate their short- and long-term regulatory resilience.
Creating trusted third-party ecosystems with a shared duty to security compliance
Managing third-party cybersecurity risk across inter-connected supplier ecosystems is becoming increasingly more daunting. Software and systems that used to be managed in-house are now routinely delivered as hosted services by multiple vendors and contractors. Other third parties frequently get brought in at departmental level, often bypassing contracting procedures, and have access to applications that hold sensitive data and business critical information.
A single mistake anywhere in the supply chain could result in data breaches, compliance fines, as well as revenue losses, reputational damage, and a wide range of negative business consequences for months, or even years, down the line.
The business-enabling power of privacy enhancing technologies
Over the past few years, there has been an acceleration in the enterprise-level understanding of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs), a category best known for its ability to enable and preserve the security and privacy of data when it is being used or processed. While some technologies within the category, including homomorphic encryption, trusted execution environments, and secure multiparty computation, had previously been academically pursued but not computationally practical, the tide has changed.
Technological development, surging awareness, and increasing adoption of PETs in recent years have alerted regulators, analysts, and broader industry to their potential impact and opened up a wealth of exciting and transformative opportunities for businesses.
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