In today’s fast-paced digital environment, the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is changing the way organizations operate. From chatbots to generative AI models, these SaaS-based applications offer many benefits, from increased productivity to better decision-making. Employees using AI tools will realize the benefits of quick answers and accurate results, enabling them to perform their jobs more effectively and efficiently. This popularity is reflected in the staggering numbers associated with AI tools.
ChatGPT, OpenAI’s viral chatbot, has gained about 100 million users worldwide, and other generative AI tools such as DALL E and Bard are also big with their ability to easily generate impressive content. It’s getting attention. The generative AI market is projected to exceed $22 billion by 2025, It shows an increasing reliance on AI technology.
But amidst the frenzy surrounding AI adoption, it’s imperative to address the concerns of security professionals within organizations. They are raising legitimate questions about the usage and rights of AI applications within their own infrastructure. Who is using these applications and for what purpose? Which AI applications can access corporate data and what level of access are they allowed? What information do employees share with these applications? What are the implications for compliance?
The importance of understanding what AI applications are being used and what access they have cannot be overemphasized. This is a fundamental and essential first step to understanding and controlling AI usage.What Security Professionals Need Full visibility of AI tools used by employees.
This knowledge is very important for three reasons:
1) assessment of potential risks and protection from threats;
This enables organizations to: evaluation Potential risks associated with AI applications. Without knowing which applications are in use, security teams cannot effectively assess and defend against potential threats. Each AI tool has a potential attack surface that must be considered. Most AI applications are SaaS-based and require her OAuth tokens to connect to major business applications like Google and O365. Through these tokens, malicious players can use her AI application to move laterally into the organization. Basic application detection Available in free SSPM tools This is the foundation for securing the use of AI.
Additionally, knowing which AI applications are being used within your organization can help prevent the inadvertent use of fake or malicious applications. The growing popularity of AI tools has attracted threat actors to create counterfeit versions to trick employees into gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data. By recognizing legitimate AI applications and educating employees about them, organizations can minimize the risks associated with these malicious counterfeits.
2) Realization of strong security measures based on authority
Empower your organization by identifying employee-granted permissions to AI applications embed Robust security measures. Different AI tools may have different security requirements and potential risks. By understanding the permissions granted to AI applications and whether these permissions pose a risk, security professionals can adjust their security protocols accordingly. Ensuring appropriate measures are taken to protect sensitive data and preventing excessive permissions is a natural second step for him in his quest for visibility.
3) Effective management of the SaaS ecosystem
By understanding AI application usage, organizations can: I take action Effectively manage your SaaS ecosystem. This provides insight into employee behavior, identifies potential security gaps, and enables proactive measures to mitigate risks (such as revoking permissions or employee access). It also helps organizations comply with data privacy regulations by ensuring that data shared with AI applications is properly protected. Onboarding anomalous AI, monitoring usage discrepancies, or revoking access to AI applications that should not be used are security measures CISOs and their teams can easily implement today.
In conclusion, AI applications present immense opportunities and benefits for organizations. However, it also introduces security challenges that must be addressed. AI-specific security tools are still in their infancy, but security professionals should leverage her existing SaaS detection capabilities. SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) A solution that addresses the fundamental question underlying the secure use of AI: who in your organization is using what AI applications and with what permissions?The answers to these basic questions are easily achievable Use available SSPM toolssaving valuable manual time.
