Accenture enhances AI cybersecurity for Australia

Accenture has broadened its generative-AI cybersecurity services to enhance Australian businesses' defence strategies against cutting-edge digital threats.

In recent years, the integration of artificial intelligence has led to a marked increase in cybersecurity incidents. Accenture highlights that AI-related security breaches have grown twenty-fold over the past decade, with a notable 31% rise from 2022 to 2023. The firm's Pulse of Change data reveals that Australian executives are particularly wary of cybersecurity risks such as deepfakes and phishing.

Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture, commented, "Modern cybersecurity protects across the entire business—from the digital core to the supply chain—and draws on gen AI-powered and quantum-proof protections, which are vital as cybercriminals ramp up new kinds of attacks using advanced AI technologies. Our new cybersecurity services and centres help our clients use the latest technologies to safeguard their critical assets and increase their resilience, so they can reinvent with confidence and create more value faster."

Addressing the topic of preparedness, Accenture reports that nearly half of Australian companies have yet to implement comprehensive cybersecurity training in line with emerging AI threats. Additionally, 50% of these companies feel inadequately equipped to handle the rising threats posed by deepfakes and AI-driven malware.

"The cybersecurity landscape is at a crossroads of unprecedented technological advancements and mounting challenges compounded by geopolitical and systemic supply chain risks," said Mary Attard, ANZ Security Lead at Accenture.

"Helping our clients adopt cybersecurity solutions powered by gen AI will enable them to effectively navigate change, accelerate business protection and become cyber-and business-resilient organisations."

In an effort to counteract these challenges, Accenture has launched a suite of generative AI and quantum-safe cybersecurity services. The services aim not only at addressing immediate security threats but also at building long-term resilience. This approach leverages deepfake protection and quantum-proof data strategies with an emphasis on fostering a secure cyber ecosystem in Australia.

Accenture notes a significant rise in cyber threats facilitated by generative AI and dark large language models (LLMs). Its cyber intelligence researchers have recorded a 223% increase in the trade of deepfake-related tools on dark web forums in the first quarter of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.

The expanded cybersecurity services include Secure AI Solutions, which establishes security across an organisation's AI program lifecycle. It encompasses frameworks, policies, and processes to secure AI practices, as well as red-teaming and adversarial simulations to uncover vulnerabilities in AI systems.

Other offerings cover deepfake protection and business cyber crisis recovery solutions. The latter, a cloud-based system, aims to drastically reduce downtime following a cyberattack, ensuring that essential business functionalities are restored swiftly.

Accenture continues to bolster its cybersecurity personnel and capabilities. In 2024, the company reported a workforce increase of over 30% in its cybersecurity division, surpassing 25,000 professionals globally. Recent acquisitions in Europe and Mexico further enhance its managed security services.

The company has also expanded its network of Cyber Future Centers with locations powered by generative AI and quantum security solutions, among them a flagship Gen AI Security studio in Brussels and additional facilities in Washington, D.C., Bengaluru, and Malaga.