1. Organizations Are Experiencing Intense Demand for AI
Many organizations are interested in using AI to improve efficiency and productivity while enabling new innovations. In fact, IT leaders at the SummIT said they are finding that internal line-of-business leaders are demanding a rapid pace of adoption.
For IT teams, a strategic approach is essential to maximize the chances of success for any AI initiative, but this strategy must yield useful ways to adopt AI into new and existing workflows.
“I don’t think we have a choice,” said Andy Ivey, CIO of Carollo Engineers. “This is not optional. Our boards and our customers demand AI. You can’t tell a customer who wants to see us as an innovator that we’re not going to innovate.”
2. Technology Must Be an Enabler of Business, Not a Blocker
Similarly, organizations are demanding that their IT teams find ways to enable new and innovative capabilities. IT departments have long been seen as the teams that tell other lines of business no when requests for new tools come in. However, as business agility becomes an increasingly important capability for companies across industries, line-of-business leaders are demanding that IT teams support and enable new workflows.
For example, security cannot be a blocker to business, said Prateek Goel, director of product marketing and strategy for Wiz. Whatever security measures an organization puts in place, they can’t get in the way of users working to achieve the core business. “We have to be able to move fast while still enabling security,” Goel said.
Niall Browne, senior vice president and CISO for Palo Alto Networks, stressed that organizations must be flexible if they want to truly innovate with AI. Organizations need to establish rules and guidelines for the safe, responsible and effective use of AI, but if organizations are too rigid, users won’t learn as much and may not find as many new ways to use the technology, Browne warned.
DISCOVER: Cybersecurity leaders must stay vigilant to combat cyberthreats.
3. With AI, Cybersecurity Teams Need to Fight Fire with Fire
Browne also pointed out that cybercriminals are using AI to turbocharge their efforts. “Attackers are out there using AI to launch attacks on a huge scale across the board,” he said. In fact, organizations have experienced a 1,265% increase in the volume of phishing emails since ChatGPT launched in November 2022. The arrival of AI has also resulted in a huge increase in the creation of ransomware, as cybercriminals can use these tools to write code more quickly and effectively. It also has greatly reduced the time it takes for threat actors to exploit new security vulnerabilities, Browne said.
To defend themselves effectively, IT teams need to find ways to use AI-enabled tools in their defense. Put simply, they can’t rely on outdated security solutions to keep up with the massive increase in volume and greater sophistication of cyberthreats. “You don’t want to bring a knife to a gunfight,” Browne said.
4. Teamwork Is Essential to Cybersecurity Success
The changing landscape and increasing sophistication of cyberthreats make security a daunting challenge, but organizations can often get help from others. For example, Erik Jones, vice president of technology for the Arizona Cardinals, said his team regularly works with representatives from the 31 other professional football clubs to tackle security challenges.
“Even though we’re competing on the field, we’re not competing in our environments, so we all work together,” Jones said.
Further, much like player development on the field, the team takes strategic steps to develop in-house talent on its IT staff. The Cardinals have restructured their IT team around centers of excellence in cybersecurity and other disciplines (including digital transformation and cloud) to cultivate internal talent.
EXPLORE: IT teams play a crucial role in sustainability.
5. Hybrid Work Poses New Challenges for Organizations
Employees’ expectations have changed in recent years, as an increasing number of organizations offer hybrid environments that enable users to work in an office setting or remotely. Users expect an excellent experience when they work from an office, and companies must deliver an equitable experience to remote workers as well. Organizations that are unable to deliver a seamless, equitable experience will find it more challenging to hire and retain top talent.
“Hybrid work is harder than either remote or office work,” said Sanjay Sood, senior vice president and CTO at CDW. “The story is not fully written out, but the future of work is going to be a lot more complex than it was before the pandemic.”
Addressing this complexity requires innovation. For example, CDW has found that users generally need more tech support when they work in hybrid environments, so the company has deployed a bot called Harold to help supplement the efforts of its support team. The automated solution has provided support in more than 114,000 interactions.
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