Take a risk-based approach to data security
Last, and most critically, organizations need to discover and classify every piece of data in order to understand which assets are to be acted on and when. Taking a comprehensive scan and ensuring accurate classification of your structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data can help identify risk that is imminent versus risk that can be de-prioritized. Beyond ransomware protection, identity management and data exposure controls are equally important for responsible AI deployment. Organizations rapidly adopting generative AI often overlook the scope of access these systems have to sensitive data. Ensuring that AI systems can only reason over authorized and properly secured versions of corporate data is paramount, especially as the regulatory landscape continues to evolve. This comprehensive approach to data security addresses both traditional threats and emerging AI-related risks.
Unprecedented threats require new security standards and controls
The security community faces unprecedented threats requiring coordinated action between private industry and government agencies. Recent attacks highlight severe gaps in data protection standards, especially around AI systems. AI accelerates business operations but introduces new risks. Sensitive data can leak into AI models during training and out of sensitive models during inference; once a model is trained, governing its outputs is non deterministic. These AI security challenges directly relate to the identity and data controls discussed above. Without sufficient access management and data classification, organizations cannot prevent unauthorized data from entering AI training pipelines and being exposed through inference.
The current changing regulatory environment adds complexity. Recent changes to cybersecurity executive orders have disrupted established collaboration frameworks between government and industry. This policy shift impacts how organizations develop secure AI systems and address vulnerabilities in our national security infrastructure. One thing is certain: The threats we face—from nation-state actors to increasingly sophisticated cybercriminal groups—won’t wait for political consensus. Just as with ransomware protection, organizations must take proactive steps to secure their AI systems regardless of regulatory uncertainty.
