Palo Alto Networks and Accenture have announced expanding their long-term strategic partnership. With the expansion, the new offerings combine Precision AI™ technology from Palo Alto Networks and Accenture’s secure generative AI services. The offering will help organizations utilize the potential of AI with unparalleled cybersecurity.
What is the Significance of the Palo Alto and Accenture Partnership?
The rapid growth of Generative AI brings challenges for organizations and increases AI-generated cyberattacks and opportunities for transformation.
In a recent Accenture survey, 97% of organizations responded that they expect GenAI to be transformative, but only 31% have invested significantly. Organizations struggle to scale AI effectively while mitigating risks.
Palo Alto Networks and Accenture are working together to help solve this for joint clients, enabling them to work toward a secure AI future through intentional design, deployment and use of AI that creates value while improving cybersecurity outcomes.
The Secure AI by Design initiative from Palo Alto Networks establishes a hardened AI ecosystem, emphasizing the integrity of AI security frameworks, enhancing security compliance, and reducing the risk of data exposure. In collaboration with Accenture, fully diagnosed AI services in Palo Alto Networks’ Prisma Cloud AI Security Posture Management and AI Access Security will be offered to secure clients’ AI environments. This partnership integrates AI Runtime Security, enabling the development of a multilayered security strategy to support every phase of the AI lifecycle.
Nikesh Arora, chairman and CEO at Palo Alto Networks, said:
“AI is transformational to every aspect of the enterprise business when used the right way. With Accenture, we’re uniting Precision AI-powered solutions and services expertise, helping our joint customers use the best of AI to create value for their business today and in the future — with better real-time security outcomes. The expansion of our partnership underscores the critical importance of a strong AI ecosystem for customers.”
Karthik Narain, group chief executive — Technology at Accenture, said:
“Generative AI is being adopted by companies across industries as the #1 lever for reinvention. It is also a moment of reinvention for cybersecurity – creating new risks, but also providing new tools. Accenture and Palo Alto Networks are helping clients confidently navigate each phase of their AI journey, ensuring cybersecurity is prioritized right from the outset.”
Also Read: Building Security from Scratch: Key Steps in Implementing Zero Trust Architecture
What are the Key offerings of the Strategic Alliance?
- Securing GenAI Builds: This unified offering is used to secure the whole lifecycle of the data/AI framework—right from data ingestion and storage to processing, model training, and its deployment, down to data analysis and visualization. It provides comprehensive protection throughout the AI lifecycle and protects against vulnerabilities and possible breaches.
- Discovery and Exposure Management: Accenture’s AI Discovery & Exposure Management offering, powered by Palo Alto Networks’ advanced AI Security Posture Management and AI Access Security capabilities, offers a strong solution for governing and defending AI environments through comprehensive oversight and protection.
- Proactive Threat Detection and Prevention: Leveraging the AI cybersecurity product suite by Palo Alto Networks, which is powered by Precision AI, the client can now benefit from the threat detection and prevention capabilities of the next generation. Coupled with the service expertise of Accenture, the solution is designed to allow clients to detect and block AI-generated attacks, set stringent data protection policies, and proactively address AI-specific threats through advisory services and application hardening.
- Responsible AI Practices: Palo Alto Networks and Accenture are committed to fostering ethical and responsible AI adoption. Through AI cybersecurity assessments, they establish a foundation for secure and responsible AI practices across organizations, ensuring adherence to ethical standards and regulatory compliance.
Conclusion
The strategic expansion of the Palo Alto Networks and Accenture alliance will enhance the Generative AI for cybersecurity. Palo Alto will be collaborating with Accenture as a design partner. This partnership will develop and customize Palo Alto Networks AI Runtime Security to meet specific client needs and better protect AI-powered business applications and models. In addition, the companies will bring enterprise data in real-time from AI-specific and foundational cyberattacks.
FAQs
1. What is the impact of generative AI on cybersecurity?
Generative AI refers to AI technologies that are capable of creating new content, such as images, text, or even entire programs, based on patterns learned from existing data. This technology has significant implications for cybersecurity, as it can be used to create sophisticated cyber threats, including AI-generated malware and phishing attacks.
2. How do Palo Alto Networks and Accenture plan to support organizations in their AI journey?
Palo Alto Networks and Accenture plan to support organizations in their AI journey by providing end-to-end AI cybersecurity solutions and services. From securing AI infrastructure and data to detecting and mitigating AI-generated cyber threats, the partnership aims to empower organizations to leverage AI effectively while safeguarding against potential risks and vulnerabilities.
3. What are some common AI-generated cyber threats that organizations should be aware of?
Some common AI-generated cyber threats include AI-generated malware, which can evade traditional detection methods by adapting its behavior based on real-time feedback, and AI-generated phishing attacks, which mimic human behavior and bypass email filters. Additionally, AI-powered social engineering attacks and deepfake videos pose significant risks to organizations’ cybersecurity.
4. What benefits will enterprises get from the Palo Alto Network and Accenture partnership?
The Secure AI by Design initiative from Palo Alto Networks establishes a hardened AI ecosystem, emphasizing the integrity of AI security frameworks, enhancing security compliance, and reducing the risk of data exposure. In collaboration with Accenture, fully diagnosed AI services in Palo Alto Networks’ Prisma Cloud AI Security Posture Management and AI Access Security will be offered to secure clients’ AI environments.
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