Tenable: Data Security in the Cloud to take center stage in 2025

Tenable predicts that in 2025, businesses will undoubtedly face mounting pressure to secure AI initiatives at scale while safeguarding a growing range of data assets from cyber threats.

With 2025 fast approaching, organizations around the world are already gearing up to embrace more emerging technologies, especially with GenAI capabilities continuing to deliver more use cases that is revolutionizing industries. Statistics are showing that investments in GenAI will only continue to grow, despite the concerns some organizations are having.

At the core of any GenAI use case is the data that makes it work. Organizations that have established a clear data strategy are championing their GenAI developments. Yet, despite this, there is still a vital need for organizations to safeguard their data. The rapid adoption of AI calls for not only better data management capabilities but also better data security.

According to Tenable in its 2025 predictions list, there is a critical need for organizations to prioritize data security in the cloud. Tenable predicts that in 2025, businesses will undoubtedly face mounting pressure to secure AI initiatives at scale while safeguarding a growing range of data assets from cyber threats.

As businesses look to incorporate AI into their infrastructure and products, the widespread adoption will lead to data being distributed across a more complex landscape of locations, accounts and applications, creating new security and infrastructure challenges. As such, CISOs will have to prioritize the development of AI-specific policies and security measures tailored to these evolving needs.

Tenable expects there will be more heightened scrutiny over vendor practices, given the growing call for responsible and secure AI that will need to not only align with regulatory requirements but also organizational security standards. Businesses will look to ensuring secure and compliant implementation as a top priority.

The cybercriminal opportunity

Given that data is core to GenAI, the growth of data will most likely become even more distributed across multi-cloud environments. This automatically sees the risk of data breaches rise significantly. Cybercriminals will have more opportunities to target these systems, making data exfiltration and unauthorized access easier. Organizations will face an escalating risk as attackers exploit these expanding data environments to achieve malicious goals.

Tenable also predicts cybercriminals will launch more AI-powered cyberattacks despite efforts taken to by AI companies to implement robust security protocols. With more powerful tools at their disposal, cybercriminals will streamline and amplify their attacks. At the same time, surging data volumes will be appealing for cybercriminals, given the ease of targeting sensitive information. Tenable believes this convergence of advanced attack tools and abundant data will make it increasingly difficult for organizations to stay ahead of evolving cyber threats.

Interestingly, despite the increased concerns on data security, Tenable believes that organizations should not slowdown in their AI journey. Instead, the concerns underscore the importance of developing robust strategies for secure and responsible AI adoption. As such, organizations must focus on integrating AI into their systems securely rather than viewing it as a risky proposition.

According to Liat Hayun, VP of Product Management and Cloud Security Research at Tenable, organizations understand that data is the fuel driving their business, especially in enabling insights, fostering collaboration, and powers innovation.

"As AI adoption skyrockets and data storage demands grow, safeguarding distributed data has never been more critical. As we head into 2025, business leaders and security teams must strike a careful balance between innovation and security, ensuring that AI initiatives do not inadvertently open new doors for cyberattacks," said Hayun.