Cyber Security Culture | Businesses Ignoring AI Concerns – Technologist

A recent study indicates that 75% of enterprises are advancing with AI initiatives despite the obvious concerns and challenges that embracing AI brings. One of the most apparent concerns is cyber security and how many companies need to have the right cyber security culture in place. At Neuways, as a leading UK-based cyber security and IT services provider, we want to emphasise the importance of addressing these foundational issues to harness AI’s full potential securely and effectively.

The Core Challenges in AI Adoption

The report from F5 reveals that 72% of enterprises encounter significant obstacles related to data quality and the scalability of data practices, which are crucial for the efficacy of AI models. Experts say that many enterprises, in their eagerness to harness AI, overlook the need for a solid foundation. This oversight diminishes the effectiveness of their AI solutions and exposes them to many security threats.

Data governance and a strong cyber security culture

At Neuways, we echo this sentiment, noting that robust data governance is necessary for deploying AI to lead to subpar performance and increased vulnerability to cyber threats. Our recent Cybersafe Digest podcast talks about fostering a cyber secure culture within the business and writing policies that extend to AI and when employees should feel free to use it and when they shouldn’t. Establishing stringent data management practices is essential to ensure the reliability and security of AI outputs.

Skill Gaps and Infrastructure Hurdles

The report which states that businesses are pressing ahead with AI regardless of concerns, also identifies a lack of AI and data-related skill sets as a significant barrier, with 53% of respondents highlighting this issue. This skills gap can impede organisations’ effective implementation and scaling of AI technologies.

From an infrastructure perspective, enterprises express concerns over the high cost of computing resources (62%), model security (57%), and overall model performance (55%). These factors present substantial challenges that must be addressed to ensure successful AI deployment.

Best Practices for AI Deployment

The CTO and Head of AI at data company Atacama, emphasises the importance of data quality in AI deployment: “Before deploying AI, enterprises must ensure the quality of their data; otherwise, poor data will impact output accuracy. Insufficient or poor-quality data with errors and anomalies will undermine the trustworthiness of AI-based insights.”

As a leading provider of technology, our advice is that organisations focus on the following best practices to overcome these challenges:

• Invest in Data Quality: Prioritise improving data quality to ensure accurate and reliable AI outputs.
• Enhance AI Training: Invest in comprehensive AI training programs to bridge skill gaps and empower employees with the necessary expertise.
• Optimise Infrastructure: Address infrastructure concerns by evaluating AI models’ cost, cyber security, and performance requirements to ensure efficient and secure deployment.

UK Businesses take cyber security culture seriously

Furthermore, focusing on the UK, a Lanop Business and Tax Advisors survey highlights that 66% of UK IT decision-makers feel their businesses need to catch up in AI development. However, an encouraging 92% of enterprises prioritise data quality, recognising its critical role in successful AI implementation.

As Cyber Security providers and consultants, we must stress that UK businesses must continue to focus on enhancing data practices and investing in AI-related skills to remain competitive in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. By doing so, they can achieve quicker ROI and unlock significant operational efficiencies.

Contact Neuways for help with cyber security and writing policies on AI

For more insights on AI deployment and data governance, we recommend contacting us to get an overview of our comprehensive guides tailored to the needs of UK enterprises.

We’ve helped businesses up and down the country whilst also working with firms and companies all over the globe, as you can see in our About Us section. Our team has years of experience in ERP implementation, Cyber Security and also IT Support, don’t miss out on utilising our expertise!