Anton on Security – Medium: RSA 2025: AI’s Promise vs. Security’s Past — A Reality Check”

Source URL: https://medium.com/anton-on-security/rsa-2025-ais-promise-vs-security-s-past-a-reality-check-e06deb3bd579?source=rss—-8e8c3ed26c4c—4
Source: Anton on Security – Medium
Title: RSA 2025: AI’s Promise vs. Security’s Past — A Reality Check”

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AI Summary and Description: Yes

**Summary:** The text provides a critical analysis of the RSA Conference 2025, focusing on the overwhelming presence of AI-driven solutions within cybersecurity discussions. It highlights the disparity between the hype surrounding AI technologies and the actual efficacy and maturity of these solutions. The author expresses concern about the lack of robust AI security measures and the persistence of legacy technologies in an ever-evolving security landscape.

**Detailed Description:**
The author reflects on the RSA Conference 2025, describing it as a mixture of hope and skepticism regarding AI’s integration into cybersecurity. The text emphasizes the following major points:

– **AI Hype Realization:**
– Acknowledgment that AI remains a dominant theme in cybersecurity, with many vendors marketing “AI-powered” solutions.
– Critique that much of the AI activity might be “AI washing,” where companies merely integrate AI jargon without substantive innovation.
– Observations indicate that while AI can address certain cybersecurity challenges, it is not solving them independently and requires significant human intervention.

– **Legacy Technologies:**
– A concerning trend noted is the ongoing reliance on legacy systems and technologies, which continue to dominate vendor floors due to organizations’ limited capacity for change.
– The concept of “change budget” describes how organizations often prioritize updates selectively, leading to technological inertia.

– **Security of AI Itself:**
– The text raises alarm over the scarce attention given to securing AI systems despite their increasing use in cybersecurity operations.
– Suggests a need for fundamental protection of AI technologies, hinting at future risks if security mechanisms for AI are not established.

– **Ongoing Challenges and Observations:**
– Notable mentions include the absence of compelling AI use cases capable of delivering real, tangible results, raising doubts about the maturity of offered solutions.
– The differentiation between “AI native” and merely “AI-enabled” solutions remains contentious, with many vendors struggling to prove the superior value of new models.

– **Overall Sentiment:**
– There is a prevailing concern that future iterations of the conference might continue to showcase a cycle of hype where significant solutions aren’t yet realized.
– The text captures a call for more genuine innovation and tangible advancements in AI and cybersecurity.

**Practical Implications for Security Professionals:**
– Security and compliance experts must critically assess AI solutions and discern substantive capabilities rather than falling for marketing hype.
– There is an urgent need for organizations to focus on securing their AI utilities, especially those deployed in security roles.
– Professionals in the field must be cognizant of the risks posed by legacy technologies and advocate for strategic advancements in their cybersecurity architecture.

This analysis serves as a reminder of the dynamic and often cyclical nature of technological advancements within cybersecurity, urging a balanced approach between embracing innovation and ensuring robust security practices.