Generative AI applications are experiencing a surge in usage among enterprise employees, with a 400% increase reported compared to last year, according to a new report from Netskope, a leader in Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). The findings, published in Netskope’s annual Cloud & Threat Report, highlight the rapid growth of generative AI app adoption in the enterprise, accompanied by emerging security risks.
In 2023, more than 10% of enterprise users accessed at least one generative AI app per month, a significant jump from just 2% the previous year. ChatGPT was the most widely used generative AI application, accounting for 7% of enterprise usage. While moderate growth is expected in the total number of users accessing AI apps next year, there is a rising population of power users who are increasing their usage of generative AI apps. This trend indicates that the top 25% of users will significantly increase their generative AI activity in 2024 as they integrate the technology further into their daily lives.
However, this spike in AI app usage also brings potential security vulnerabilities. As employees utilize AI apps, there is a higher likelihood of sensitive data exposure, such as credentials, personal information, or intellectual property. To ensure safe enablement of AI apps, organizations need to implement reasonable controls and advanced data security capabilities while promoting productive AI usage among employees.
The report also highlights the continued rise in cloud app adoption throughout the year, as enterprise users regularly test new apps and increase usage of popular ones. Additionally, social engineering attacks emerged as the primary method for initial access by attackers in 2023. Social engineering provides a convenient way for adversaries to exploit systems that quickly patch known security vulnerabilities and restrict remote access. Phishing scams were more successful compared to downloading trojans, with an average of 29 out of every 10,000 enterprise users clicking on a phishing link each month in 2023. Top targets for these attacks included cloud apps, shopping sites, banking portals, social media platforms, and government entities.
In terms of threat actors, criminal adversaries were the most active against Netskope customers in 2023, with geopolitical adversaries targeting users in certain regions. The report outlines the top five adversary groups observed throughout the year, including their specific campaigns and activities witnessed by Netskope. Many of these threat groups relied heavily on Cobalt Strike, a tool commonly used to deploy ransomware, infostealers, wipers, and other malicious software to extort victims.
Looking ahead to 2024, Netskope anticipates that adversaries will continue to exploit the increasing adoption of cloud apps by leveraging social engineering tricks.
To combat these evolving threats, Netskope recommends that organizations implement reasonable controls, advanced data security capabilities, and zero trust principles. Being prepared for emerging risks and maintaining visibility into cloud, web, and private application activities will help organizations reduce risk and improve performance.
For more details, the full Cloud and Threat Report for 2024 can be downloaded from Netskope’s website.
