From chatbots and recommendation engines to complex decision-making systems, AI-driven applications are changing how businesses operate and interact with their customers. As companies rush to implement AI solutions, many are overlooking the unique security challenges these systems present. Traditional security measures often fall short when it comes to protecting AI-driven applications, leaving businesses open to new types of threats and attacks.
That’s where Mend AI comes in to secure your AI investments and keep you ahead of the curve. In this episode of the Software Plaza podcast, host Twin Taylor talks with Barel Tauri, head of Mend AI at Mend.io. They did a deep dive into AI security, specifically how to secure AI-driven applications, rather than how to use AI for security.
Let’s get into the seven reasons why your business needs to prioritize AI security with Mend AI.
1. AI-specific vulnerabilities
AI-driven applications introduce a whole new set of vulnerabilities that traditional security tools can’t handle. Prompt injection attacks, for example, can manipulate AI models to do unintended actions or reveal sensitive information. These attacks are particularly sneaky because they exploit the way AI systems process and respond to inputs.
Mend AI is designed to detect and prevent these AI-specific vulnerabilities. By using advanced techniques like dynamic scanning and contextual risk analysis, Mend AI can find potential weaknesses in your AI systems before attackers do.
2. Shadow AI discovery and management
You think you know all the AI components in your organization, but the reality is often different. Shadow AI, unauthorized or undocumented AI usage within your company, is a big security risk.
Barel Tauri, head of Mend AI, says: “Every time we go to a prospect and we ask the first question, we ask how many AI components you think you have, and usually the answer is 10 times less than what we actually find.”
Mend AI’s discovery tools can help you find and manage these hidden AI assets, so all AI components in your organization are accounted for and secured. Mend AI gives you a bird’s eye view of your AI.
3. Contextual risk assessment
It’s not just about individual vulnerabilities — it’s about the bigger picture. AI systems interact with multiple data sources, tools, and other systems, creating a web of potential risks.
Mend AI gives you a bird’s eye view of your AI landscape. This contextual view allows you to prioritise and fix the most critical risks first so your security efforts have the biggest impact.
4. Automated red teaming for AI systems
Traditional penetration testing doesn’t cut it for AI systems. The applications—your inputs and outputs mean the attack surface is much larger and more complex than traditional apps.
Mend AI’s automated red teaming is designed to tackle this challenge. By simulating a wide range of AI-specific attacks, including various forms of prompt injection, Mend AI can find vulnerabilities that would otherwise go undiscovered. As Tauri says:
“We have a database, some of it open-source based on attacks publicly disclosed, and some of them are proprietary. Once we have this database, we try many variations over each attack because an attack can be a prompt, and an attack can be an idea on how to use simple prompts to leverage and make it successful.”
This way, your AI systems are tested against the latest and most advanced attack techniques, and you stay one step ahead of potential threats.
5. Shift-left security for AI development
In the fast-paced world of AI development, security can’t be an afterthought. Mend AI does shift-left, and security is integrated into the earliest stages of AI development and deployment.
By catching and fixing security issues early in the development process, Mend AI helps you avoid costly retrofits and potential breaches down the line. This proactive approach not only makes security better but also makes the development process smoother, so your teams can innovate with confidence.
6. Compliance and governance for AI systems
As AI is getting more and more into business operations, regulators are starting to take notice. New regulations and compliance requirements for AI systems are coming, and businesses need to be prepared.
Mend AI helps you be ahead of these regulatory challenges by providing governance tools for your AI systems. From model provenance tracking to data privacy controls, Mend AI makes sure your AI applications are compliant and ethical.
7. Future-proofing against emerging AI threats
The field of AI is moving fast, and with it, the landscape of threats. What’s secure today might be vulnerable tomorrow. Mend AI is constantly updating its threat intelligence and detection capabilities to keep up with these changes.
Tauri gives a glimpse into the future of AI security challenges: “It’s pretty clear, it’s pretty obvious that the most interesting security issue is multi-agent environments because every time two systems need to agree on a protocol about something, there will be some misalignment and security issues. Especially when these systems are not two systems or what, 10 systems, 100 systems, and they’re all autonomous.
By working with Mend AI, you’re not just securing your current AI applications—you’re future-proofing your business.
Getting started with Mend AI: A step-by-step approach
Implementing a full AI security solution like Mend AI doesn’t have to be scary. Mend AI has a four-step approach to securing your AI applications:
- Shadow AI discovery: Find all the AI in your organisation, including the bits you don’t know about.
- Component risk assessment: Identify and score the risks of each AI component.
- Contextual risk analysis: Understand how these risks fit into your wider IT estate.
- Mitigation and continuous monitoring: Implement security and monitor for new threats.
This approach means you’re not just throwing security tools at the problem, but a tailored solution for your organization’s specific AI security needs.
In summary, as AI is transforming the business landscape, securing AI applications is no longer optional—it’s essential. Mend AI is a forward-thinking solution to this complex problem, helping businesses get the most out of AI while mitigating the risks.
Watch the full episode of the Software Plaza podcast featuring Twin Taylor and Barel Tauri to dive deeper into securing AI-driven applications with Mend AI.
Don’t wait for a breach to highlight the vulnerabilities in your AI systems. Get started with Mend AI today and secure your AI applications. Your business depends on it.
