Data resilience & trust seen as key to safe AI use

Data Privacy Day has drawn renewed attention to the link between data protection, artificial intelligence and business continuity, as technology leaders highlight the role of resilience and trust in digital operations.

Executives from Veeam Software said organisations that want to exploit AI in production environments now face a sharper test of their underlying data practices. They pointed to long‑standing disciplines such as governance, impact assessments and standardisation as central to digital trust and operational resilience.

The comments come as businesses reassess data strategies under tighter regulation and rapid AI adoption. Many are attempting to convert large volumes of operational data into usable insight while maintaining strict security and privacy controls.

Trusted data

Rick Vanover, VP of Product Strategy at Veeam, said organisations that place trust and control at the centre of their data strategies gain both compliance and innovation benefits.

"True data resilience starts with trust and control. As we mark Data Privacy Week, we must empower organizations to take charge of their data - protecting privacy, ensuring security, and unlocking value at every turn. In today's digital era, trusted data is the cornerstone of both privacy and progress. Organisations that ensure their data is secure, governed, and trustworthy lay the foundation not only for compliance but also for safe AI adoption and transformative business outcomes. Let's recognize that empowering organizations with trusted data is what enables innovation, builds resilience, and unlocks the true promise of AI for our businesses and society. And should things not go as planned, organizations should have the confidence in resilience technology and practices to keep the business running."

Vanover linked trusted data to an organisation's ability to withstand disruption and maintain operations. He framed resilience technology and practice as a basic requirement for firms that want to safeguard privacy and sustain digital services when incidents occur.

AI foundations

Andre Troskie, EMEA Field CISO at Veeam, said the past year had shifted AI from experimentation into mainstream business use. He said this transition placed pressure on organisations to balance protection with accessibility.

He said leaders increasingly view AI systems as dependent on the quality, structure and resilience of the data they consume. Data privacy obligations now intersect more directly with operational demands from AI and analytics projects.

Troskie described weaknesses in data resilience as an inhibitor to AI adoption.

"It's been a big year since the last Data Privacy Day. AI has transitioned from runaway hype into a real business advantage - putting data squarely under the spotlight. There's only one catch. Organisations have to learn to walk the tightrope between keeping data secure, without compromising usability.

"Immature data resilience isn't just a security risk anymore - it's now a roadblock for organisations looking to access the true potential of AI for their business. Fear around data is holding organisations back, but the solution is already out there. While all of this might be heralded as a 'new era', it still needs to be built on the same solid data resilience foundations as the last one. Foundations like impact assessments, data standardization and governance, and validation will all remain essential.

"If the nearly two decades of Data Privacy Day have taught us anything, it should be to never neglect the foundations of data resilience. We should treat this not as a yearly reminder, but as an ongoing observance - that straying too far into new tech like AI without the basics in place can only spell trouble. New tools, confidence, and even AI breakthroughs can crumble in an instant if just one of those foundational data resilience measures is missing. So, when building with AI, let's make sure we've done the groundwork first."

" said Andre Troskie, EMEA Field CISO, Veeam Software.

Troskie said organisations risk undermining their AI projects if they bypass long‑established disciplines in privacy and information management. He drew a direct line between resilient data architectures and the durability of new AI tools over time.

Regulation and risk

Data Privacy Day originated as an awareness effort around personal information protection and has expanded in scope as digital systems have grown more complex. Recent enforcement action and new regulatory proposals in multiple regions have increased financial and reputational risk for organisations that mishandle data.

Security and risk leaders now treat backup, recovery and governance as part of wider operational resilience strategies. These strategies intersect with privacy rules when firms handle customer records, behavioural data and AI training datasets across jurisdictions.

Vanover said organisations that invest in structured, governed data flows can move more quickly on AI initiatives. He linked these investments with stronger audit trails, better incident response and higher levels of stakeholder confidence.

"True data resilience starts with trust and control. As we mark Data Privacy Week, we must empower organizations to take charge of their data - protecting privacy, ensuring security, and unlocking value at every turn. In today's digital era, trusted data is the cornerstone of both privacy and progress.

Organisations that ensure their data is secure, governed, and trustworthy lay the foundation not only for compliance but also for safe AI adoption and transformative business outcomes. Let's recognize that empowering organizations with trusted data is what enables innovation, builds resilience, and unlocks the true promise of AI for our businesses and society. And should things not go as planned, organizations should have the confidence in resilience technology and practices to keep the business running."

" said Rick Vanover, VP of Product Strategy, Veeam Software.