The digital landscape is rapidly evolving, driven by a wave of emerging technologies, where cloud computing stands out as a key enabler of this transformation. However, cloud adoption, which has significantly contributed to the digital transformation, has also introduced complex security challenges, expanding the threat landscape. The embracing of cloud technology by organizations, which is further driven by the advent of generative artificial intelligence, or GenAI, comes with a sharp increase in cybersecurity risks, demanding the implementation of innovative solutions to effectively address these concerns. To stay ahead, organizations need to invest in advanced tools and technologies, and the right talent to ensure cloud environments are secure and resilient.
New-age threats are on the rise
The rise in the number of connected devices globally, the hybrid work culture, and widespread cloud adoption have led to the explosion of endpoints and huge data flows that are being constantly targeted by threat actors. Not only are these cyber threats evolving at speed, but these incidents are getting to be complex and dangerous to respond to, driven by their growing sophistication. We are also witnessing the rise in cloud-based attacks such as cloud malware, injection attacks, insider threats, insecure APIs, and cloud crypto mining, among others. Several organizations today have integrated or plan to integrate GenAI models into their cloud-hosted workloads, as cloud platforms offer the scalability and shared services models suitable for the delivery of GenAI-enabled applications at scale. Unfortunately, GenAI can be both a contributor to the organization’s growth as well as a potential attack vector, compelling businesses to reconsider how they protect their cloud environments. Vinay Sharma, Regional Director, India and SAARC, NETSCOUT, commented, “As more businesses enhance their services and operations with GenAI, their threat surface expands. Defending these new environments, so that businesses see the return on investment they expect, requires consistent visibility of the network and applications activity. Anomalous behaviors must be quickly identified, but it’s not enough just to know something is suspicious, we must understand ‘why’ so that operations respond effectively. Closing the gap between detection and response requires consistent, high-fidelity network metadata and packet decodes aligned with detections.”
With over 80% of organizations adopting GenAI, there are some concerns around data privacy and security in the absence of protective measures against the misuse or manipulation of the GenAI models and secure development practices.
“GenAI is transforming industries, but it also brings significant cybersecurity challenges, ranging from misinformation and deepfakes to the leakage of sensitive training data. These models, trained on diverse web content, raise privacy and compliance concerns. Without responsible usage and proactive security controls, enterprises face growing risks across data, applications, and infrastructure, especially as cyber threats evolve in parallel,” said Chetan Jain, Founding Executive Director and Managing Director of Inspira Enterprise.
Despite the devastating consequences, GenAI is also proving to be a game-changer in combating cybercrime.
GenAI tools are crucial for cloud security
Traditional security tools and techniques are inadequate to safeguard cloud assets in the current threat environment. It is here, GenAI plays a key role in strengthening defenses, optimizing operational efficiency, and automating security controls, ensuring real-time threat detection and response. All security tools powered by GenAI improve not only data protection but also adherence to compliance. To succeed in combating threats, cybersecurity vendors and cloud service providers are integrating GenAI into their defense mechanisms. Commenting on this, Kamleshwar Bhatt, CEO at i2k2 Networks, said, “Hyperscalers, such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, are playing a key role in the GenAI ecosystem and are offering hugely scalable cloud and storage resources that are needed to run GenAI tools. These cloud service providers also ensure their AI models and GenAI tools are readily accessible to a broad range of users.” Further commenting, he said, “GenAI is improving cybersecurity and redefining it by offering real-time and advanced threat detection, improved threat intelligence, automated security patches and other controls, prioritizing alerts, offering actionable insights, and enhanced incident response.”
However, tools alone are not enough to combat the evolving threats of the digital age. They must be effectively used by teams with the right knowledge and expertise.
GenAI -Cloud convergence talent is in constant demand
It is said that one of the best investments organizations can undertake is placing top priority on employee training. Integrating cloud computing, GenAI applications, and cybersecurity requires a highly specialized talent pool, which, unfortunately, is in short supply. O’Reilly’s 2024 State of Security Survey reveals that 33.9% of tech pros report a shortage of AI security skills, and 38.9% of respondents cited cloud security as the most significant organizational skills shortage.
Organizations must prioritize cybersecurity skills development and invest in targeted training and certification while building a culture of cybersecurity. Employees should be willing to adopt and implement new technologies and be equipped with the technical skills that are required to safely leverage GenAI tools, security best practices, and ethical guidelines to ensure AI capabilities are not misused. Rahul Kurkure, Founder and Director at Cloud.in said, “Cybersecurity professionals should have a good understanding of the new trends in the space, such as automated security systems driven by AI and ML algorithms, and blockchain technology for safeguarding systems. Along with the knowledge of advanced tools and technologies, organizations must equip their teams with an understanding of human judgment and critical thinking, too.” He added, “Employees should constantly update themselves by attending relevant conferences and webinars and actively participating in communities dedicated to GenAI and cloud security groups, in addition to enrolling in training programs.”
ALSO READ: Can New COO Sabih Khan Reshape Apple’s Global Matrix Amid Rising U.S.-China Tensions?
