The promise of artificial intelligence casts a spotlight on the potential for transformative business change in the evolving landscape of technology.

Beneath this luminous optimism, however, lurk shadows of concern, fear and uncertainty surrounding security, privacy and governance. At this week’s “Possible 2023” event, theCUBE spoke with experts on the current state of cybersecurity, AI and best practices to take to ensure data security.

“Our goal with security at Teradata is to do two things,” said Billy Spears (pictured), chief information security officer of Teradata Corp. “The first is we want to continue to build trust with our customers. We want to grow that trust so they’ll continue to expand their use of our platform and get all the goodness as a result. The second thing we want to do is we want to think about resiliency right from the start.”

Spears spoke with theCUBE industry analysts Rob Strechay and Rebecca Knight at Possible 2023, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the critical intersections of AI and cybersecurity while emphasizing the importance of trust, resilience and education in safeguarding our digital future. (* Disclosure below.)

AI’s promise and the security conundrum

With AI’s transformative potential, business leaders are eager to harness it to boost productivity and empower their workforces. This enthusiasm, though, is coupled with significant concerns about security, privacy and governance, according to Spears. This means that addressing these concerns is paramount for organizations venturing into the world of AI.

“People know a lot of facts and figures, and when they compile them themselves without understanding exploitability or some of the other risks, sometimes they can spiral out of control,” Spears said. “At Teradata … we try to take this layered approach.”

There is also a vulnerability with the individual in the face of various cyberattacks, including phishing and QR code phishing. This makes education and awareness critical. Individuals should not blame themselves when targeted by sophisticated attackers, as these attackers are adept at exploiting human behavior, according to Spears.

“This is not like it was at some point in the past where we have this big stick, and we’re scaring people,” he said. “That doesn’t help when people work from home … they can work from anywhere. We have to educate them, not only in the company, but extend the network into their homes, so they can be better and safer as a result.”

The intersection of data and security

The attack surface has expanded significantly as data becomes increasingly valuable. Cyberattacks are no longer solely about zero-day vulnerabilities, but often involve social engineering techniques, such as phishing, according to Spears. This makes securing administrative credentials behind home routers important as well.

“If I look at your house, and I sit across the street and I just do research, film you, understand your movements, figure out your patterns — when do you do whatever you do and what are the most common services you use, I’m going to be able to put together an attack that’s likely going to be able to fool you. And it’s not your fault,” he said.

In a world where AI is reshaping industries, the CISO role is pivotal in ensuring that the promise of technology is matched by robust security measures. As organizations navigate the intersection of AI and cybersecurity, lessons learned can provide valuable guidance on building trust, ensuring resilience and safeguarding against evolving threats, according to Spears.

“We could build the most robust security system on the planet, but if the people walk the adversary through the security system to the crown jewels and back out of the house, then we haven’t really done our job,” he said.

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of Possible 2023:

(* Disclosure: Teradata Corp. sponsored this segment of theCUBE. Neither Teradata nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE