AI’s role in strengthening Zero Trust architecture
As AI becomes more integrated into cybersecurity, the challenge of fitting AI within a Zero Trust framework is a growing priority. Katea Murray, vice president and chief technology officer of mission solutions at Leidos, recently shared insights on how AI can enhance Zero Trust strategies without compromising security during a panel at the 2024 Billington Cybersecurity Summit.
Balancing AI and security in modern cyber defense
The intertwined nature of AI and cybersecurity means AI not only presents risks but also solutions for security teams.
“When we’re talking about AI, we’ve got to talk about governance around the capabilities we are implementing,“ Murray noted. “And when we talk about governance, we hone in on the security implementations of the models and how we’re implementing that structure.
As AI takes on greater roles in cybersecurity operations, its value lies in pattern recognition, threat detection, and automation. By enabling faster decision-making, AI can help organizations quickly respond to cyber threats while maintaining control over data integrity and privacy. However, panelists emphasized that AI’s effectiveness hinges on its ability to be trusted—by users and the systems in which it operates.
Trust and transparency in AI
The importance of trust when integrating AI into Zero Trust frameworks is paramount. To enable this, Murray explained that Leidos has adopted a "design to trust" approach.
One of the key areas we want to look at is around decision-making. We’re building in the idea for AI models to self-diagnose if they should be trusted, adding scores to tell you why a model made a certain decision.
Katea Murray
VP, CTO, Mission Solutions, Leidos
This goal is to enhance user confidence in AI-driven decisions, which is critical in fast-paced, high-stakes environments, such as supply chain management. In these cases, AI can quickly reroute supplies based on real-time data—decisions that need to be trusted and executed without hesitation.
Related Reading: Global supply chain innovation in contested environments
Shifting the culture
The shift to adopting AI within Zero Trust requires more than just technology—it demands a cultural transformation. As Murray pointed out, “We don’t want to add AI just for the sake of it. We need to be intentional about where AI fits into the security framework.”
At the heart of this shift is the challenge of balancing innovation with control. Murray emphasized that AI should act as “a trusted partner to humans,” augmenting rather than replacing human expertise. Organizations that foster collaboration and continuous learning can build a culture that embraces AI as an enabler of secure, data-driven decisions.
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