Cisco launches AI Defense to secure AI application use

Cisco has announced the launch of Cisco AI Defense, a new solution designed to secure the use and development of artificial intelligence (AI) applications within enterprises.

With the rapid advancement of AI technology, existing security measures are reportedly inadequate in addressing the emerging safety concerns and potential threats associated with AI. Cisco AI Defense intends to fill this gap, providing enterprises with the tools necessary to confidently pursue AI initiatives.

"Business and technology leaders can't afford to sacrifice safety for speed when embracing AI," stated Jeetu Patel, Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer of Cisco. "In a dynamic landscape where competition is fierce, speed decides the winners. 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 without tradeoffs."

Cisco's 2024 AI Readiness Index indicates that only 29% of surveyed enterprises feel adequately prepared to detect and prevent unauthorised tampering with AI. The complexity of AI security challenges is heightened by the use of multi-model and multi-cloud applications, with disparate responsibilities between developers, end users, and vendors. As companies move towards using proprietary data for model training, the associated risks increase.

AI Defense is designed to address two primary security concerns: the secure development and deployment of AI applications, and the secure access to AI applications.

To support the secure development and deployment of AI, AI Defense offers developers a unified set of safety and security parameters, applicable to a wide array of applications. This component of the solution features capabilities such as the discovery of AI applications—including both shadow and sanctioned apps—across varying cloud environments, model validation through automated testing to unearth vulnerabilities, and continuous runtime security to defend against threats like prompt injection, denial of service, and data leakage.

For securing access to AI applications, AI Defense offers comprehensive tools for visibility, access control, and data and threat protection. This enables security teams to monitor and manage the AI applications being utilised by employees, restrict access to unsanctioned tools, and protect against data loss and breaches while maintaining compliance with regulatory standards.

Kent Noyes, Global Head of AI & Cyber Innovation at World Wide Technology, commented on the new solution, "The adoption of AI exposes companies to new risks that traditional cybersecurity solutions don't address. Cisco AI Defense represents a significant leap forward in AI security, providing full visibility of an enterprise's AI assets and protection against evolving threats."

AI Defense builds upon Cisco's strategic approach to AI-driven security technologies, including previous innovations such as Cisco Hypershield. The solution is set to be available to enterprises from March and is integrated with Cisco's Security Cloud platform, utilising Cisco's network-level enforcement capabilities to optimise AI security.