A new forecast from Gartner indicates that Generative AI is all set to transform the cybersecurity space in India. The emergence of generative AI (GenAI) has caused one of the biggest disruptions in digital and business sectors in the last couple of years. “Through ethical, safe and secure implementation of this technology, CISOs can improve the performance of their security functions and enhance organizational resilience,” said Abhyuday Data, Director Analyst at Gartner.
While managing GenAI presents inevitable challenges, there are also external factors to consider, such as regulatory concerns and the rapid adoption of cloud computing.
To effectively handle the combined impact of these forces and enhance their organization’s cybersecurity program in 2024, Gartner recommends that CISOs in India must prioritize two top cybersecurity trends:
GenAI Transforming the Cybersecurity Market: GenAI introduces new attack surfaces requiring changes to application and data security practices and user monitoring. Gartner predicts that by 2025, GenAI will cause a spike in the cybersecurity resources required to secure it, causing more than a 15% incremental spend on application and data security.
Gartner analysts said organizations should conduct proof of concepts before incorporating GenAI into their cybersecurity programs, beginning with application security and security operations. A policy for overseeing the introduction of GenAI-based products into the organization must also be established, to ensure that all internal teams using this technology understand and adhere to a set of unified policies.
Bridging the Communications Gap with Cybersecurity Outcome-Driven Metrics: Outcome driven metrics (ODMs) are central to creating a defensible cybersecurity investment strategy. They provide a credible and defensible expression of risk appetite that supports direct investment.
“ODMs enable SRM (security & risk management) leaders to convey the value of cybersecurity investment beyond the importance of regulatory compliance,” said Data. “Organizations seeking an approach to measure cybersecurity value that resonates with executives and supports practical investment decisions must adopt ODMs.”
Spending in security to grow
Gartner forecasts that end-user spending on security and risk management (SRM) in India is expected to total $2.9 billion in 2024, an increase of 12.4% from 2023.
Indian organizations will continue to increase their security spending through 2024 due to legacy IT modernization using cloud technology, industry demand for digital platforms, updated regulatory environment, and continuous remote/hybrid work.
In 2024, cloud security spending in India is projected to record the highest growth. The adoption of cloud and multi-cloud presents security challenges, causing an increased focus on cloud security by Indian organizations.
