When it comes to tech security, the current era is defined by complexity and opportunity.

Unfortunately, when it comes to innovation, confusion can often converge alongside ingenuity, making it even more crucial for education, collaboration and foresight to help guide companies toward a future where security is not merely an aspiration but a collective endeavor.

“[Companies are] really kind of confused about security and they’re trying to figure out what are the partners that they need to partner with to make their security stuff work,” said David Linthicum (pictured, right), principal analyst at theCUBE Research. “Enterprises are looking for that one tool that’s going to take them over the path. I don’t think they exist, but they’re hoping that it exists.”

Linthicum spoke with theCUBE Research’s chief analyst, Dave Vellante (left), at the RSA Conference, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the future of innovation, especially when it comes to tech security and the part artificial intelligence has to play. (* Disclosure below.)

Dave Vellante talks innovation and tech security during RSAC.

The fusion of AI and zero trust in tech security

There is an insatiable appetite for security solutions. Unfortunately, confusion has hindered the advancement of innovation in many cases. Amid the cacophony of conversations and inquiries, the prevailing sentiment is one of aspiration mingled with trepidation.

“We can’t run this stuff into ubiquity, where we’re running to some multitude of different security systems that we’re paying for,” Linthicum said. “We’re going to get to a level of complexity in terms of the security solutions out there that it’s going to be unmanageable.”

The data gleaned from a recent Enterprise Technology Research survey underscores this sentiment. AI and zero trust emerge as the twin pillars of curiosity and anticipation. While the desire for innovation is palpable, the journey toward adoption is riddled with educational hurdles.

“When I start talking about the unique needs of AI, I think they understand deep down that it’s different,” Linthicum said. “They probably haven’t put enough thinking into it and how to make it work, how to make it play. I think that’s the deficit that’s going on right now.”

Defenders vs. adversaries in the age of AI

A central theme has emerged: the inexorable march toward a future dominated by machine intelligence. Elon Musk’s prophetic vision of a world where 99% of intelligence is machine-driven serves as a harbinger of a paradigm shift. In this new era, the age-old dynamic of defenders versus adversaries undergoes a metamorphosis, as AI-powered entities engage in a perpetual dance of strategy and counter-strategy, theCUBE analysts pointed out.

“It essentially takes the defender and the adversary dynamic that exists today, you take that to the machines and then you have AI,” Vellante said. “Which is smart enough to build the resource access control facility for today’s environment, but then you have another AI that’s attacking, that’s smarter than that AI and the AI’s just keep getting better and better.”

Stakeholders need to take proactive measure to confront the looming specter of cyber-physical threats before they materialize into catastrophic events. There is an imperative for foresight and vigilance, underscoring the need for innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to safeguard critical infrastructure in an era defined by hyper-intelligence, according to Linthicum.

“My challenges for these security folks [is] to do this proactively, to get this in place now, or else we’re going to have an event that we’re not going to enjoy very much,” he said.

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE Research’s coverage of the RSA Conference:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the RSA Conference. Neither RSA Conference, the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE