National Research Group’s Post

Our latest thought leadership report, "Out of the Shadows," explores the rise of shadow AI and the security and innovation challenges it brings to businesses. I had the pleasure of helping bring this insightful piece to life. Check it out to learn more about this emerging trend!

Excited to share our latest thought leadership piece with you, "Out of the Shadows.” This report dives into the complexities surrounding shadow AI and provides actionable insights for organizations looking to balance innovation with governance. Hit me up if you are interested talking about this topic! Great to work with my colleagues Aaron Williams Fergus Navaratnam-Blair Grady Miller Nick Crofoot Jasmina Saleh Susan Hoxie

We've been hearing a lot of questions about Shadow AI, but not a lot of answers, so we put our curious minds to work to understand current behaviors & sentiments and unpack the implications for enterprises and Tech companies. Interesting quote: "leaders were most concerned about shadow AI as practiced by their most tech-literate employees who are the most likely to create significant data vulnerabilities." DM me if you want to learn more. Great collaborating with the team on this! Fergus Navaratnam-Blair Grady Miller Nicole Speulda Clouser Nick Crofoot Aaron Williams Jasmina Saleh Susan Hoxie

How corporate IT deals with usage of AI in their companies has enormous implications for the pace of AI adoption and how businesses leverage it. This piece is a must read for anyone who deals with B2B tech. I had some great discussions with IT Decision Makers in the course of conducting this research, working with a great group of collaborators here at NRG - some of the best in the biz! Fergus Navaratnam-Blair Grady Miller Nicole Speulda Clouser Nick Crofoot Rob Barrish Jasmina Saleh Susan Hoxie

🚨 AI in Action: Tackling Insider Threats 🚨 Insider threats are among the toughest challenges we face in cybersecurity. Why? Because they involve people—trusted users with legitimate access. Traditional defenses often struggle here, but AI is changing the game, moving us beyond static rules to more adaptive, context-aware security. Here’s how AI makes a difference: - Behavioral Profiling That Learns: AI builds an evolving understanding of user activity, adapting to what’s “normal” and flagging what’s not. - Instant Anomaly Detection: Instead of periodic checks, AI continuously monitors for unusual behavior, enabling faster responses. - Context Matters: AI looks at user roles, locations, and history, reducing noise and honing in on genuine risks. - Connecting the Dots: By correlating data across multiple sources, AI paints a fuller picture of potential threats. - Smart Filtering & Fast Response: With intelligent alerting and automated actions, we can focus on what really matters. At the end of the day, it’s about staying one step ahead and keeping people—and their data—safe. #CyberSecurity #AI #InsiderThreats #HumanElement

In the 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 landscape, 𝗔𝗜 is often seen as a 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁:  1. Advanced Phishing and Social Engineering 2. Deepfakes and Synthetic Media 3. AI-powered Malware and Ransomware 4. Evasion Techniques Against Security Systems 5. Password Cracking and Authentication Attacks 6. Automated Vulnerability Scanning 7. Adversarial AI Attacks 8. AI-driven Botnets 9. Information Harvesting and Reconnaissance 10. Manipulating Financial Markets and Transactions 11. Voice Recognition System Exploitation 12. Enhancing Spam and Fake Reviews 13. Supply Chain Attacks 14. Cloud Service Exploitation 15. Automated Threat Development In this post by Abdulla Al Seiari, we see AI as an 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 with 𝗔𝗜-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 that leverage AI for anomaly detection, predictive analytics, and automated responses to counteract threats. Each coin always has two faces!

As companies dive into the world of artificial intelligence, many overlook the cyber-risks that come with it. In a recent Dark Reading article, Alteryx CISO Lucas Moody highlights a critical challenge: a whopping 40% of global leaders don’t fully understand the security risks of generative AI. This is where Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) become essential. As the gatekeepers of security, CISOs are uniquely positioned to lead AI adoption with a security-first approach. From creating guardrails to prevent data leaks to aligning AI goals with organizational risk tolerance, CISOs are the backbone of safe AI integration. Read Lucas Moody’s insights on why CISOs are vital for responsible AI adoption and how they help organizations unlock AI's potential while keeping security at the forefront. 🔐 https://ow.ly/FFVs30sHVPw #AI #CyberSecurity #GenerativeAI #Alteryx

🛡️ The Rise of Generative AI: A Double-Edged Sword in Cybersecurity The National Institute of Standards and Technology -NIST- recently raised an alert on how generative AI, while innovative, poses significant new challenges in data security. Most of us are fascinated by the capabilities of AI in creating hyper-realistic content like deepfakes, but here lies a hidden risk. These technologies can also mastermind sophisticated attacks that are tough to detect and could severely compromise data integrity. Here's a real-life scenario: imagine a deepfake video so convincing it passes for an authentic message from your CEO, directing substantial funds transfers. Scary, right? This is no longer the stuff of science fiction but a tangible threat that could target any organization. Key Recommendations from NIST: - Robust Security Measures: Fortify your defenses. - Data Validation and Verification: Always double-check sources and content. - Regular Security Audits: Keep tabs on the health of your information security. - Incident Response Plans: Have a strategy ready for potential breaches. By proactively adopting these strategies, businesses can shield themselves from the darker potentials of generative AI. 🤔 As we integrate more AI into our lives, how prepared do you think we are to fend off these AI-generated threats? Have you encountered AI security issues in your own work environment? #Cybersecurity #ArtificialIntelligence #DataSecurity #GenerativeAI #Deepfake #NIST #TechInnovation #DigitalTransformation

As companies dive into the world of artificial intelligence, many overlook the cyber-risks that come with it. In a recent Dark Reading article, Alteryx CISO Lucas Moody highlights a critical challenge: a whopping 40% of global leaders don’t fully understand the security risks of generative AI. This is where Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) become essential. As the gatekeepers of security, CISOs are uniquely positioned to lead AI adoption with a security-first approach. From creating guardrails to prevent data leaks to aligning AI goals with organizational risk tolerance, CISOs are the backbone of safe AI integration. Read Lucas Moody’s insights on why CISOs are vital for responsible AI adoption and how they help organizations unlock AI's potential while keeping security at the forefront. 🔐 https://ow.ly/2KhE30sI77z #AI #CyberSecurity #GenerativeAI #Alteryx