The IT landscape is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by the collaboration of technologies aimed at bolstering cybersecurity measures in the face of increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. One promising avenue experts are exploring involves harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, which have the potential to revolutionize cloud security through automation.
AI can bring about significant improvements in the security of continuously operational cloud computing platforms. It not only aids in thwarting potential hackers but also plays a crucial role in identifying security issues and breaches, many of which stem from human errors. The advantages of incorporating artificial intelligence into cloud operations are hard to overlook, given the compelling arguments in its favor.
- Event Prediction: Machine learning, when provided with relevant data, excels at accurately predicting future events. By analyzing vast datasets or digital information, predictive models can be constructed to foresee how events will unfold with precision. This capability is invaluable in helping businesses prepare for market fluctuations, such as fluctuations in demand or supply, especially in sectors like retail. It also aids in comprehending potential cybersecurity risks and simulating their impact. Event prediction models serve multiple purposes, from outlining potential scenarios and risk areas to enhancing preparedness for similar incidents, thereby reducing detection and response times. As a result, AI-powered enterprises are better poised to respond swiftly to customers, competitors, regulators, and partners, gaining a competitive edge.
- Cost-Efficient Operations: A significant benefit of AI in cloud computing is cost savings. The synergy between cloud computing and artificial intelligence can lead to substantial cost reductions. Cloud computing economics alleviate infrastructure expenses that would otherwise be incurred, eliminating the need for on-premises data centers. Furthermore, AI development costs are significantly lower in cloud environments. Leading cloud providers offer AI capabilities that can also reduce research and development expenditures. Organizations with cloud access can leverage AI to obtain research insights at no extra cost. Users can create custom dashboards to monitor and predict spending trends over time, minimizing the risk of overspending. The combination of AI and cloud computing yields long-term cost advantages, with 87% of IT and data security experts reporting improved cost-effectiveness in data protection.
- Enhanced Data Security: Data breaches are an unfortunate reality, often resulting from unauthorized and unmonitored access. Traditional hardware or physically accessible infrastructure introduces additional risks, including hardware failures, data deletions, backup losses, and more. In contrast, AI in cloud computing offers business continuity, rapid disaster recovery, and streamlined data backup processes. By integrating AI with network and gateway security, endpoint protection, and advanced authentication, administrators can fortify systems, making them nearly impervious to attacks, particularly insider threats. User monitoring enables early detection of anomalous activities, aiding in thwarting hackers. A 2019 survey revealed that 75% of IT leaders employed AI to secure their networks, with 71% and 68% utilizing AI for data security and endpoint security, respectively.
- Cloud Security Automation: The inclusion of AI in cloud security enhances automation capabilities. AI-driven cloud infrastructure can swiftly detect and analyze data anomalies and recommend appropriate actions. Unauthorized access to cloud configurations can be significantly reduced through AI advancements. Moreover, AI can identify and block suspicious activities, preventing potentially malicious code from infiltrating the system. AI’s ability to aggregate and analyze data across various sources also empowers businesses to adopt proactive security incident response measures.
- Optimized IT Infrastructure: Many suppliers are introducing IT systems with pre-configured combinations of storage and computing resources. These integrated resources can enhance the performance of AI workloads by automating and accelerating processes. As AI remains a relatively nascent technology, adopting improved strategies for optimizing IT infrastructure becomes crucial. AI-enabled computing platforms and infrastructure optimization solutions can prepare IT environments for increasing demands. According to a recent Canalys survey, businesses increased their spending on cloud infrastructure services by $5 billion in Q2 2021 compared to the previous quarter, highlighting the growing significance of cloud-enabled AI solutions.