The future of cybersecurity: A secure approach to AI adoption

financialexpress.com:

By Mike Hanley

Where do I start with AI? Is it safe? How do I talk about risk with my stakeholders? These are questions I am asked often these days.

While AI is helping developers code faster and be more productive, some leaders are concerned that it can introduce additional security and risk management headaches. But the cybersecurity industry is no stranger to emerging technologies, and we must continue to embrace every tool at our disposal to secure the software ecosystem.

AI Makes The Promise Of ‘shift Left’ a Reality

Used effectively, AI can help prevent vulnerabilities from being written in the first place—radically transforming the security experience. AI provides context for potential vulnerabilities and secure code suggestions from the start. These capabilities enable developers to write more secure code in real time and finally realise the true promise of “shift left.”

This is revolutionary. Traditionally, “shift left” typically meant getting security feedback after you’ve brought your idea to code, but before deploying it to production. But with AI, security is truly built in, not bolted on. There’s no further way to “shift left” than doing so in the very place where your developers are bringing their ideas to code, with their AI pair programmer helping them along the way. It’s an exciting new era where generative AI will be on the front line of cyber defence.

However, it’s also important to note that, in the same way that AI won’t replace developers, AI won’t replace the need for security teams. We’re not at Level 5 self-driving just yet. We need to keep our hands on the wheel and work with our existing security controls, not abandon them.

Green-Lighting AI Within Your Organization

Some teams are already