Tenable®, Inc, the Exposure Management company, has published a new study revealing that 66% of organisations plan to harness generative AI (GenAI) within the next 12 months to enhance security measures and align IT objectives with broader business goals. Despite this surge in adoption, the study also reveals a worrying trend, as only 11% of organisations demonstrate high confidence in effectively implementing GenAI technologies.

The data is drawn from the Australian edition of “How to Discover, Analyze and Respond to Threats Faster with Generative AI,” a commissioned study of 826 IT and cybersecurity professionals, including 102 Australian respondents conducted in October 2023 by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Tenable. The research sheds light on the growing adoption of GenAI within Australian businesses, marking a significant pivot in their strategic focus. It reveals a sense of hopeful anticipation among security leaders regarding the capacity of GenAI to enhance security measures. Nevertheless, it also accentuates the intricate nature of the path towards AI integration, as organisations navigate the delicate balance between innovation and potential risks.

An aspect of concern highlighted by the study is the perception of GenAI as a greater security threat than an opportunity among 44% of Australian organisations. This sentiment reflects widespread apprehension regarding cybersecurity risks associated with GenAI implementation. Additionally, internal misuse of GenAI emerges as a prominent concern, with 48% of respondents expressing worry about potential misuse within their organisations.

Moreover, the study emphasises the importance of data quality and integrity in the success of GenAI initiatives. A resounding 80% of Australian respondents stress that GenAI’s effectiveness heavily depends on the quality of data utilised by organisations. This underscores the indispensable role of data governance and management in ensuring the efficacy of GenAI applications.

“GenAI offers incredible benefits, but there are also serious concerns about security, governance, and data quality,” says Scott McKinnel, Country Manager ANZ at Tenable. “Organisations need to tackle these challenges head-on to fully harness GenAI’s potential while keeping risks at bay.

“With the growing use of cloud services, virtualisation platforms, microservices, applications, and code libraries, the attack surface is expanding. This means organisations face vulnerabilities, cloud misconfigurations, and risks tied to identity access, groups, and permissions. GenAI can help by bringing together data from various sources, making it easier for Australian organizations to understand and manage these complexities. This way, they can quickly identify exposures, prioritise actions, and see connections across the entire attack surface.”

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