Flexential, a leader in secure and flexible data center solutions, has released its 2024 State of AI Infrastructure Report. The report highlights increasing concerns among IT leaders regarding the cybersecurity risks associated with AI investments. Based on a survey of 350 IT leaders, the findings emphasize the urgent need for enhanced disaster recovery planning, resilient infrastructure design, and reliable uptime to support secure, scalable AI deployments.
- Key Findings on Cybersecurity Risks:
- Increased Vulnerability: Nearly all IT leaders (95%) feel that their organization’s growing AI investments have heightened their vulnerability to cyberthreats.
- Lack of Expertise: 40% of respondents indicated that their cybersecurity teams lack understanding of how to protect AI applications and workloads.
- Shift to Colocation: 42% of organizations have moved AI applications and workloads from public cloud environments to colocation settings to enhance data privacy and security.
- Challenges and Concerns:
- Complexity of AI Applications: 54% of respondents believe the complexity of AI creates a larger, more vulnerable attack surface.
- Sensitive Data Management: 39% of IT leaders reported increased storage and processing of sensitive data due to AI investments.
- Data Storage Location: 51% noted that AI investments have led to a shift in where sensitive data is stored, potentially increasing cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
- Expert Insights and Recommendations:
- Jason Carolan, Chief Innovation Officer at Flexential: Stressed the importance of robust, secure IT infrastructure solutions to support AI workloads and reduce vulnerabilities. Emphasized the need for education and upskilling of IT staff.
- Will Bass, VP of Cybersecurity Services at Flexential: Highlighted the necessity for comprehensive disaster recovery strategies, including rigorous testing and enhanced detection and response capabilities. Advocated for embedding resiliency into AI infrastructure from the start.
The Flexential 2024 State of AI Infrastructure Report underscores the growing cybersecurity risks associated with AI investments. As AI becomes integral to business operations, IT leaders must prioritize resilient infrastructure and disaster recovery strategies to safeguard their organizations. With the right infrastructure solutions and expertise, enterprises can mitigate risks and ensure successful AI deployments, keeping their projects on track and their data secure.
