As AI accelerates digital transformation and intensifies cyberattacks, data visibility and quality have become mission critical to defending hybrid cloud infrastructure, according to Gigamon.
This is based on research that covered 200 CISOs across Australia, France, Germany, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.
To keep pace, CISOs now need to gain a deeper level of insight, as increasing traffic volumes add complexity. Packet-level data paired with metadata was cited by 86% of CISOs as essential in strengthening security posture today and the key to gaining complete visibility, with metadata offering a scalable way to surface critical signals from rapidly expanding data flows.
CISOs reported their top priority to optimize defense-in-depth strategies is real-time threat monitoring and visibility into all data in motion. Yet nearly all (97%) CISOs surveyed admit that they are making compromises in the areas of visibility gaps, tool integration, and data quality, all of which hinder their ability to effectively secure and manage hybrid cloud environments.
“The rise in AI-driven ransomware, social engineering, and the unchecked spread of shadow AI is placing security leaders on the defense, which is why our survey shows visibility has become their top priority,” said Chaim Mazal, chief AI and security officer at Gigamon.
“At the same time, AI offers a powerful way to augment security teams, restore visibility and control, and reshape how organizations structure and resource their defenses, ultimately paving the way for stronger security,” said Mazal.
According to the survey, AI data volumes have nearly doubled, rapidly expanding the threat surface and impacting the way CISOs manage and store data across virtual, cloud, and container environments.
As a result, 75% of CISOs believe that public cloud is a greater security risk than any other environment, causing many organizations to rethink their data storage strategy.
Also, 73% of CISOs report they are considering repatriating public cloud data to private cloud due to security concerns, a significant change since the migration to public cloud started early two decades ago.
Further, 52% report they are reluctant to use AI in the public cloud due to issues around intellectual property, highlighting the compliance, control, and shadow AI challenges they face due to limited visibility.
These data challenges have extended beyond a technical imperative, now moving to a strategic business imperative, as 70% report that public cloud security is now a board level priority.
Nearly one in every 5 CISOs are not confident they have the right tools to manage the rising volumes of network data generated from AI, highlighting a critical gap, as existing log-based tools weren’t designed to defend against AI-powered attacks.
To better manage data volumes fuelled by AI, 52% of CISOs say a top priority for the next 12 months is leveraging network and application metadata to make existing tools more effective.
Meanwhile, 46% are ensuring visibility across all data-in-motion and one in every three CISOs are implementing guardrails around large language models (LLMs) to mitigate exposure to emerging risks.
Data breaches are on the rise, with a 17% year-over-year increase in breaches. CISOs are feeling the pressure, with nearly half (45%) citing they are the primary person held accountable when a security breach occurs.
Another top concern cited by CISOs is the increased level of stress and burnout within their teams.
As a result, CISOs are embracing AI with 45% of them leveraging AI tools to enhance their internal security team’s capabilities and productivity.
Facing a global shortage of skilled professionals and reduced budgets, 73% of CISOs are also considering AI to compensate for decreasing headcount, clearly demonstrating that AI is seen as both a necessity and an opportunity.
