Protecting Your Organization from BYOAI: Key Takeaways from Our Recent Webinar
The rise of generative AI has brought both opportunities and challenges. During our recent webinar, “Protect Against BYOAI & Shadow IT with Microsoft Defender,” we dove into the critical aspects of safeguarding your organization from the risks associated with BYOAI (Bring Your Own AI). Here are the key takeaways from the session.
Understanding BYOAI and Its Implications
BYOAI refers to the practice of employees bringing their own AI tools and applications into the workplace. While this can enhance productivity and innovation, it also introduces significant risk. The lack of visibility into unsanctioned AI usage can lead to data breaches, compliance issues, and other cybersecurity threats.
The Growing Adoption of Generative AI
Generative AI is being adopted at an unprecedented rate as organizations actively engage with or experiment with GenAI in various capacities. Excitement and anxiety coexist as businesses embrace this transformative technology—as the technological advancements enabling innovations and business opportunities also introduce additional security and governance risks. By 2026, it is projected that 80% of enterprises will be utilizing generative AI apps or deploying AI-enabled solutions. This rapid adoption underscores the need for robust security measures to protect sensitive data and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
Top Security Concerns
During the webinar, we highlighted several key security concerns associated with BYOAI:
- Lack of Visibility: 58% of organizations are worried about the lack of visibility into the unsanctioned use of generative AI.
- Cloud Misconfigurations: These are considered the top SaaS cybersecurity risk by IT and security professionals.
- Increasing Number of AI Apps: The past 1 ½ – 2 years, we’ve seen over 400 different AI apps come to market and that number grows every month. What do the different AI apps do with your data and prompts. Is it public or private? Is it using your data to train their models? Is the AI app trustworthy or will it lead to training data poisoning?
Strategies for Protecting Against BYOAI
To mitigate the risks associated with BYOAI, organizations need to adopt a holistic security strategy. Here are some recommended approaches:
- Implement Comprehensive Security Solutions: Utilize tools like Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps to gain visibility and control over SaaS applications. This includes SaaS app discovery and posture management, which helps identify and manage misconfigurations in apps, reducing susceptibility to attacks.
- SaaS Threat Protection: Modern attacks often span multiple domains, and SaaS-related threats are no different. Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps is natively integrated with Microsoft Defender XDR, leveraging advanced hunting capabilities across apps, identities, endpoints, and email to provide extensive SaaS threat protection.
- Security for AI Apps: With the rapid adoption of generative AI, it is critical for organizations to have the right tools to prevent and protect against AI-related threats. Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps offers capabilities that enable security teams to gain full visibility into the AI applications used within their environment and detect and respond to suspicious interactions with generative AI apps like Copilot for Microsoft 365.
- App-to-App Protection: App governance provides visibility and insights into app behavior for all Microsoft Entra ID-enabled apps, paired with in-depth capabilities to control how apps interact with one another. This is crucial for addressing OAuth apps, which can often serve as backdoors for adversaries.
- Data Protection: After connecting your apps using API connectors, it is important to classify, label, and implement policies to prevent data leakage. This ensures that sensitive data is protected throughout its lifecycle.
Conclusion
As the adoption of generative AI continues to grow, it is crucial for organizations to stay ahead of the curve by implementing robust security measures. By understanding the risks and adopting a proactive approach, you can protect your organization from the potential threats posed by BYOAI.
Thank you to everyone who attended the webinar. If you missed it, don’t worry—you can still catch all the valuable insights and actionable strategies. Watch the recording now to arm yourself with the knowledge needed to safeguard your organization against BYOAI and Shadow IT. Don’t miss out on the chance to stay ahead in this rapidly evolving technology!
Chris Hinch
Microsoft Practice Director
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