AI Defenses: Data & Identity Fundamentals Crucial

Artificial intelligence has transformed social engineering threats, allowing attackers to deploy deepfake-led attacks, voice cloning, and advanced phishing at low cost and high velocity. This leaves defenders struggling to keep pace. What's interesting is that shadow AI further complicates this, as employees introduce unsanctioned tools that expose organizations to risks outside security team visibility. Spencer Scott, head of information security at RPC, notes that many companies are rushing towards "agentic capability" without solid fundamental security in place. He emphasizes that the speed of AI-enabled attacks means humans can no longer manage threat analysis alone. Scott also discusses incorporating AI-specific questions into third-party due diligence and ensuring AI governance receives board-level oversight. The bottom line is that strong data and identity fundamentals are crucial for effective AI defense.