Forrester Report Explores How GenAI Is Transforming Cloud Security  

Forrester recently published a report titled, “How Generative AI Will Influence Cloud Security,” which examines how generative Artificial Intelligence (genAI) will bring unprecedented change and innovation to cloud security, including but not limited to cloud infrastructure-native and third-party security solutions and software-as-a-service (SaaS) app security.

The report enumerates key benefits including better threat detection, improved cloud detection and response, lower labour costs, and reduced exposure to regulatory fines and sanctions.

GenAI Promises to Boost Cloud Security Via Better Detection and Lower Costs

As the number of types of cloud workloads grow and the security policies protecting those workloads get more complex and harder to manage, genAI will address several shortcomings of heritage cloud security solutions including limited input signals for detection and response; expensive threat detection and response labour; and exposure to regulatory fines and sanctions.

GenAI Boosts Cloud Security With LLMs And Generative Adversarial Networks

GenAI algorithms are generally used in identity and access management, security analytics, security information and event management, and fraud management (deepfake detection). Forrester expects that cloud security solutions will use large language models (LLMs) for copilots and detection; large transaction models (LTMs) for threat detection; and generative adversarial networks (GANs) pit genAI against genAI.

GenAI’s Threat Detection and Copilots Help Protect Cloud Infrastructure

Forrester expects genAI to significantly improve the visibility, security, and operational efficiency of cloud infrastructure platforms. Most cloud workload security (CWS) solution providers will incorporate genAI into threat detection at the cloud infrastructure policy layer; remediation and ongoing policy recommendations; report query capture and response generation; network policy generation; and threat detection at the guest OS, among others.

GenAI Aids Shadow SaaS Detection and Data Security Posture Management

As SaaS configurations get more complex and interconnected, human insight and traditional rules-based methods for detecting cloud risks lose effectiveness. Forrester expects that genAI will make its largest contributions to cloud security in shadow and sanctioned SaaS application detection and risk assessment; data security posture management enhancements; copilots for policy management, investigation, and reporting.

GenAI’s Risks in Cloud Security Include Governance and Explainability

While GenAI’s benefits are clear and real, operationalised deployments of genAI still introduce risks to be managed. Cloud security providers identified risks and downsides of genAI in cloud security including difficulties in governing genAI models than traditional AI as well as enforcing intellectual property (IP) and privacy protections, genAI explainability; and genAI model poisoning and exploitation.

Visit here to learn more about Forrester’s 2025 Predictions to put key trends, opportunities, and challenges into clear focus.