Global research shows 93% of organizations use public-generated AI, but 34% of organizations do not have a generative AI policy in place
Splunk, the leader in cybersecurity and observability, today announced the State of Security 2024: The Race to Harness AI global research report in collaboration with Enterprise Strategy Group. A total of 1,650 security leaders took part in the global survey, with many reporting that cybersecurity is now more manageable than in years past. However, cybersecurity defenders are now in competition with adversaries to leverage generative AI (Gen AI).
According to the report, organizations are actively adopting Gen AI tools within their teams. Compared to organizations that are still developing their cybersecurity programs, organizations with a forward-thinking approach have more budget, resources, and authority to deploy cutting-edge Gen AI tools and technologies. is in a favorable position. However, despite this widespread adoption, many organizations lack a clear Gen AI policy and do not fully understand the technology's broader impact. Additionally, cybersecurity leaders are divided on whether cybersecurity defenders or threat actors have an advantage in leveraging Gen AI tools.
- 93% of security leaders said public Gen AI is used across their organizations. 91% Specifically, they reported using Gen AI for cybersecurity operations.
- Despite the high adoption rate, 34% Half of the organizations surveyed said they do not have a Gen AI policy in place. 65% A percentage of respondents admit they do not fully understand the impact of Gen AI.
- 44% A percentage of respondents rank generative AI as a top initiative for 2024, ahead of cloud security as the top initiative.
- When it comes to Gen AI, cybersecurity leaders are divided as to which is more advantageous. meanwhile 45% A percentage of respondents believe Gen AI will be the ultimate victory for threat actors. 43% He said Gen AI gives cybersecurity defenders an edge.
said Patrick Coughlin, Splunk's senior vice president of global technical sales. “The introduction of Gen AI creates new opportunities for organizations to streamline processes, increase productivity, and limit staff burnout. Unfortunately, Gen AI also offers unprecedented benefits for threat actors. To combat this new threat landscape, defenders must harness the power of Gen AI to outperform threat actors in the race to deploy safely.”
In recent years, cybersecurity adoption has proven to be quite a challenge, especially for entry-level employees looking to break into the industry. Our report shows that Gen AI is a potential solution to this problem, as it helps organizations discover and hire entry-level talent more efficiently. Additionally, the majority of cybersecurity experts expect Gen AI to increase speed and productivity.
- 86% of cybersecurity leaders say Gen AI will allow them to hire more entry-level talent to close the skills gap.
- 58% He says Gen AI will speed up the onboarding of entry-level talent.
- 90% security executives believe that entry-level talent can leverage Gen AI to develop skills in the security operations center (SOC).
- 65% We believe this technology can help improve the productivity of skilled cybersecurity professionals.
The majority of security professionals also face increasing compliance pressures. With the introduction of more stringent compliance requirements, the risks have increased significantly, especially for security leaders who may face personal repercussions for violations in their organizations. This changing compliance landscape highlights the need for increased vigilance and accountability in the security field.
- 76% A higher percentage of respondents said that personal responsibility made the field of cybersecurity less attractive. 70% Have you considered leaving the field due to work-related stress?
- 62% of professionals report that they are already being impacted by changes to compliance obligations that require disclosure of material violations. meanwhile, 86% of security experts say they will change their budgets to prioritize meeting compliance regulations over security best practices.
- Many respondents also expect their organizations to become more risk-averse. 63% We expect organizations to err on the side of caution and over-report violations as a way to avoid penalties.
For more 2024 security insights and recommendations, visit https://www.splunk.com/en_us/form/state-of-security.html.
methodology
Researchers surveyed 1,650 security executives from December 2023 to January 2024. Respondents were from Australia, France, Germany, India, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.and aerospace and defense, business services, consumer packaged goods, education, financial services, government (federal/national, state and local), healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, technology, media, oil/gas, retail/ Wholesale, communications, transportation/logistics, public utilities
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