AI technology has become an undeniable force reshaping how we work. Its potential is enormous, offering benefits like increased productivity, faster and more accurate threat analysis, and intelligent resource allocation. However, while the opportunities are significant, we must carefully consider the risks involved. Over-reliance on AI as well as challenges in securing AI and safeguarding data can end up causing more harm than good. A cautious and responsible approach is key to effectively harness the transformative opportunities of AI.
How Companies Use AI to Work Smarter
Over the past years, many AI applications have been introduced. “Generative AI” (or GenAI in short) is making headlines for its remarkable ability to imitate human reasoning. It can create text, images, code, and more. It marks a leap forward from simple automation to genuine intelligence. The technology that was once considered experimental is now ready to deliver tangible benefits, but in a well-considered way.
Businesses are integrating AI into their workflows. There are three approaches worth considering, depending on your requirements and available resources:
- General-purpose AI that Uses Your Data (RAG): Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) is a way to make AI smarter with the data you already have. Instead of relying on general-purpose AI, it uses your specific information to provide clear, relevant insights. It’s an easy way to upgrade without starting from scratch.
- Customizing AI for Your Business (Fine-Tuning): Fine-tuning means adjusting AI to better suit your needs. Whether it’s improving accuracy for specific tasks or making the AI understand your business better, this approach trains the AI specifically to your use case to deliver more useful results.
- Building Custom AI for Large-Scale Needs: Big companies often need AI solutions built entirely from the ground up. These fully customized systems handle complex, large-scale operations. While expensive, they’re designed to solve specific challenges that off-the-shelf solutions can’t handle.
Even small steps with AI, like using your existing data or fine-tuning models, can deliver big improvements without overhauling your workflows.
What AI can do for Security Management
AI has been finding its way into security operations, already making a tangible impact by:
- Aggregating and analyzing logs from security and control devices.
- Sifting through alerts to prioritize critical incidents.
- Drafting concise summaries of incidents for communication.
- Detecting potential issues by spotting alerts humans might miss.
Similarly, AI also has the potential to significantly accelerate how security teams plan, respond to threats, streamline performance and compliance checks, enhance reporting accuracy, and support vendor and cost management. Basically, turning what used to be manual, time-consuming efforts into data-driven, more proactive processes. The key is aligning AI-driven initiatives with strategic goals to enhance operational efficiency, support resilience, and foster innovation.
When it comes to corporate security, decision-makers often face two conflicting priorities: staying one step ahead of evolving threats while ensuring limited budgets are used wisely. AI can help to address these challenges by:
- Automating Repetitive Tasks: Tasks such as compliance audits, risk assessments, and vendor reviews are (partly) automated, freeing managers to focus on dealing with issues and critical decisions.
- Converting Data Overload into Insights: Security systems generate a flood of data. AI cuts through the noise. It analyses potential threats, identifies risks, removes bias, and prioritizes actionable insights, enabling teams to act proactively.
- Enhancing Cost Control and Resource Allocation: With historical and real-time data analysis, AI helps forecast risks and ensure that resources are allocated where they’ll have the greatest impact.
Why act now?
Today’s security leaders are confronted by geopolitical uncertainty, ever-evolving cyber-physical threats, and a tsunami of data coming from various security systems and external contextual data sources. Traditional methods struggle to keep up, making AI a critical enabler for:
- Improved Threat Response: AI can detect and prioritise risks faster than human teams, offering a competitive edge against adversaries.
- Scalability: As data grows exponentially, AI ensures that security measures remain effective without overwhelming teams.
- Enhanced Resilience: AI aids in proactive planning and continuous improvement, helping organisations stay agile in the face of new risks.
Meet SAM: your virtual security assistant
At Pronect, we’ve developed SAM, our AI Security Assistant designed specifically for corporate security managers. Built with real-world needs and strict data protection in mind.
SAM acts like a virtual security consultant, analyzing incoming reports and threat data, identifying security risks, and suggesting actionable recommendations. SAM isn’t just about making your job easier; it’s about elevating your team’s capabilities.
How SAM can help:
- Integrated Security Intelligence: SAM goes beyond just gathering data. Powered by industry expertise, it analyzes all your structured data about your security posture and processes, captured in the Pronect application (like risk assessments, incident reports and guard schedules) and connected external contextual data (like threat information, performance metrics or geopolitical risks). For example, if break-ins rise in nearby areas, SAM might suggest increasing patrols or upgrading perimeter monitoring.
- Automated Compliance Gap Analysis: Keeping up with regulations and security standards can be overwhelming. SAM automatically and continuously reviews your security measures against legal and industry standards, like TAPA standards for logistics, and highlights areas where you’re falling short. For example, if your access control design doesn’t meet new compliance rules, SAM will identify the gap and recommend specific fixes.
- Clear, Concise Security Advice: Instead of overwhelming you with data, SAM provides prioritized recommendations, weighing risks, costs, and operational impact and telling an integrated story. For instance, it might recommend replacing outdated cameras in high-risk zones before tackling lower-priority issues.
Imagine an AI solution that not only processes data but also acts on it in real time. This is the security workforce of tomorrow: high-performance security teams supported by virtual agents working around the clock to safeguard people and assets. It’s not about replacing human expertise; it’s about empowering your team with smarter tools that handle the grunt work, freeing them to focus on strategic, high-value security efforts.
It may sound futuristic, but small steps in this direction can already deliver significant results, increasing efficiency and enhancing your team’s overall performance. Well-crafted AI tools can transform security by providing a sequence of stacked benefits, small improvements that collectively can help productivity and insight skyrocket when stacked together. Over time, as your team, data sets and structure expand, SAM evolves alongside your organization and your needs.
AI technology evolves quickly, and organizations that don’t prepare and foresee appropriate guardrails will struggle to stay ahead. Our approach ensures our AI systems are future-proof, providing the governance and adaptability needed to cope with a rapid changing environment and the complex regulatory landscape.
Responsible AI Adoption with Pronect
While SAM is undeniably innovative, it’s designed for practical, real-world applications where innovation meets reliability. Simply being cutting-edge isn’t enough—AI must be purpose-driven, aligned with your organizational objectives, and responsibly developed within a robust and well-structured framework.
By implementing strong governance measures, safeguarding data ownership, preventing data leakage, and securing AI from hacking and malicious use, security managers can leverage the benefits of AI without compromising confidentiality or operational integrity.
SAM is built with data security and transparency at its core, adhering to globally trusted frameworks for cybersecurity and AI-specific safeguards. These include ISO 27001 for information security management, SAMM (Software Assurance Maturity Model) for cyber-application security, and the OWASP AI Security Guidelines, which address the unique challenges of securing AI applications. To further reinforce integrity and trustworthiness, our quality framework includes:
- Bias Mitigation: Regularly auditing AI models to ensure fairness and prevent discriminatory outcomes.
- Explainability: Making AI decisions understandable and clear for all stakeholders.
- Data Protection: Guaranteeing strict compliance with data protection regulations, giving users full control over their data. Additionally, your data is never used for AI training, guaranteeing full control over your information.
- Continuous Monitoring: Actively managing AI systems to detect and address vulnerabilities or misuse in real time. This comprehensive approach ensures SAM is not only effective but also is developed responsible and protects your sensitive information.
AI has the potential to revolutionize security management by reducing workloads, improving decision-making, and helping teams work smarter. Risks like data leaks and overreliance on AI can be avoided with proper safeguards and responsible implementation.
By adopting AI tools responsibly, organisations can achieve clarity and control over a rapidly changing and connected world. Let Pronect guide you on this transformative journey, ensuring every step aligns with your organisation’s objectives and values.
Ready to take the next step? Discover how SAM can transform your approach to security management. Get in touch and let us know what we can do for you (contact us).
Pronect is your trusted partner in security digitalisation, delivering a robust AI-powered platform and a comprehensive methodology to optimise security risk management. By automating administrative tasks and providing critical insights, we empower security teams to focus on protecting people and assets effectively. Our solutions align security strategies with business goals, ensuring cost-effective and justifiable outcomes. Learn more about how Pronect can help your organisation make smarter, data-driven security decisions.