Cisco AI Defense is a comprehensive solution designed to secure the development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) applications within enterprises. As organisations increasingly adopt AI technologies, new security threats are emerging, highlighting the need for robust protective measures.
"Business and technology leaders can’t afford to sacrifice safety for speed when embracing AI,” said Jeetu Patel, executive vice president and chief product officer at Cisco. He emphasised the importance of combining threat detection and protection without compromising on performance. “Fused into the fabric of the network, Cisco AI Defense combines the unique ability to detect and protect against threats when developing and accessing AI applications.”
Cisco: Measuring security readiness in the modern world
The stakes associated with AI security are high. According to Cisco's 2024 AI Readiness Index, only 41% of respondents in Hong Kong feel adequately prepared to detect and prevent unauthorised tampering with AI systems. As enterprises begin to utilise proprietary data for training AI models, the risks of data leakage and misuse grow significantly.
AI Defense aims to provide a common layer of security that protects every user and application. It addresses two key risks: the secure development and deployment of AI applications, and the safeguarding of access to these applications.
For developers, AI Defense offers a unified set of security guardrails to protect the multitude of AI applications that enterprises are expected to create. Key features include discovering shadow and sanctioned AI applications, model validation to identify vulnerabilities, and runtime security for continuous protection against threats.
“Security teams need to understand who is building applications and the training sources they use,” said Patel. “AI Defense detects shadow and sanctioned AI applications across public and private clouds.” The solution also automates testing to ensure AI models are safeguarded against potential security issues.
On the user side, AI Defense enhances visibility into AI-enabled applications, enabling security teams to implement access controls and prevent data leakage. The solution continuously monitors threats and ensures compliance, particularly as employees become more engaged with AI tools for increased productivity.
Cisco AI Defense is set to be available in March 2025, marking a significant step in addressing the complex security challenges posed by the rapid expansion of AI technologies in the enterprise landscape.