How do you stay protected in an ever-changing era of AI?
In this InTechnology video, Camille talks with episode co-host Sunil Kurkure, Managing Director at Intel Capital, and guest Anand Kashyap, Co-Founder and CEO of Fortanix. They get into Fortanix’s distinctive data security solutions, ways for companies to strengthen protection in the era of AI security, and emerging innovations and challenges in data security and AI.
Learn more about Intel Capital here.
Fortanix’s Distinctive Data Security Solutions
Anand begins by sharing his inspiration for founding Fortanix, explaining that traditional data security lacked deterministic encryption, leaving cybersecurity defenses vulnerable to attackers. However, the emergence of confidential computing has introduced a new level of protection, using hardware to secure software. Anand’s vision was to protect data directly, creating a continuous security boundary around it by decoupling data security from infrastructure. He describes confidential computing as safeguarding data in use, extending beyond existing protections for data at rest. With this approach, confidentiality ensures no one can access the data inside the enclave, while integrity protection, enforced through remote attestation, prevents any modifications to the enclave once built.
Anand emphasizes that Fortanix is among the few companies globally leveraging this technology to develop products that keep data protected and encrypted end-to-end. Sunil adds that Fortanix’s unique approach to data security was a major factor in Intel Capital’s investment, as Fortanix manages data security across on-premises environments, cloud platforms, and various SaaS services. Sunil also highlights the domain expertise of Fortanix’s founders as another compelling aspect of Intel Capital’s interest.
How Companies Can Strengthen Protection in the Era of AI Security
The discussion shifts to AI security, with Camille asking Anand about the dual role of AI in both protecting and attacking systems. Anand explains that both defenders and attackers now have access to the same AI tools, creating a dynamic “cat and mouse” scenario where AI is used to enhance both security measures and cyber attacks. To stay proactive, Anand advises companies to focus on fundamental data security, including robust security solutions, comprehensive data encryption, and strict identity and access controls. He also emphasizes the importance of layered security, or “defense in depth.” For managing AI, he suggests that large organizations adopt a centralized system for deploying AI tools, which enhances control over AI initiatives.
Emerging Innovations and Challenges in Data Security and AI
Looking to the future, Camille asks about distributed AI and safeguarding data at the edge. Anand envisions a hybrid model, with centralized AI training and distributed inference at the edge to optimize performance and latency. He cites current examples, like Apple’s AI on the iPhone and emerging AI-driven PCs. Protecting data closer to its generation source will be essential as consumer and end-user access to AI grows.
On the regulatory front, Anand anticipates that data sovereignty and compliance requirements will continue to influence technologies like confidential computing and AI model training. He also addresses the impending impact of quantum computing on data security, noting advancements in post-quantum cryptography (PQC) as a positive development. In closing, Sunil raises the topic of data security platformization. Anand observes that, unlike endpoint security, data security remains fragmented, with data dispersed across various locations. Nevertheless, he believes a unified data security platform will eventually emerge to address this fragmentation.
Sunil Kurkure, Managing Director at Intel Capital
Sunil Kurkure is a Managing Director at Intel Capital, where he has been investing since 2015, focusing on cloud-native infrastructure, developer tools, data platforms, and cybersecurity. He currently serves as a board director or observer for companies such as Eclypsium, Fortanix, and SecurityScorecard. Previously, Sunil was an investor specializing in enterprise technology at Mirador Capital, Greenspring Associates, and Charter Ventures, supporting companies like Snowflake, Sumo Logic, and Splunk. Prior to joining Intel Capital, he worked in M&A and equity financing at Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse. Sunil holds a B.S. degree from UC Berkeley.
Anand Kashyap, Co-Founder and CEO of Fortanix
Anand co-founded Fortanix with Ambuj Kumar in 2016, initially serving as CTO before stepping into the CEO role in 2022. Before Fortanix, he was a Staff Engineer at VMware, an MTS at Arkin Net, and a Principal Security Researcher at Symantec. Anand holds over 25 patents and has presented at conferences such as Financial Cryptography and BlackHat. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stony Brook University and a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science from IIT Kanpur.
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#datasecurity #AIsecurity #confidentialcomputing #Fortanix #IntelCapital
The views and opinions expressed are those of the guests and author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Intel Corporation.
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