CISOs Take Charge: Navigating AI Security with the CLEAR Framework
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues its rapid evolution, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) find themselves at the forefront of cross-functional AI initiatives, often leading the charge. However, the guidance available for security leaders in this complex landscape is limited. To help navigate this terrain, we introduce the CLEAR framework—a strategic guide designed to enable security teams to thrive during their companies’ AI adoption journeys.
Meet CLEAR: The Five Steps to AI Success
If security teams aspire to play a pivotal role in their organization’s AI strategy, they should embrace the five principles of CLEAR, a structured approach that delivers immediate value to AI committees:
- Create an AI asset inventory
- Learn what users are doing
- Enforce your AI policy
- Apply AI use cases
- Reuse existing frameworks
Create an AI Asset Inventory
One of the cornerstones of effective AI governance aligns with established regulations and best practices, such as the EU AI Act and NIST AI RMF. Maintaining a comprehensive AI asset inventory is crucial, yet organizations often struggle with outdated, cumbersome tracking methods. To enhance visibility, security teams can employ various strategies:
- Procurement-Based Tracking: Useful for new acquisitions but may overlook updates to existing tools.
- Manual Log Gathering: Analyzing network traffic can identify AI activities, though it doesn’t cover all cases, particularly Software as a Service (SaaS).
- Cloud Security and DLP: Utilizing solutions like CASB provides visibility, but policy enforcement can be daunting.
- Identity and OAuth Monitoring: Access logs from providers like Okta can help track AI tool usage effectively.
- Extending Existing Inventories: Categorizing AI tools based on risk can support enterprise governance.
- Specialized Tooling: Continuous monitoring tools can detect AI usage across different platforms.
Learn: Embrace Proactivity in Identifying AI Use Cases
Rather than outright blocking AI tools that employees may gravitate toward, security teams should proactively identify these applications. Why? Because understanding how and why employees utilize AI tools allows security leaders to recommend safer, compliant alternatives. This knowledge is increasingly critical as organizations align with the EU’s AI literacy mandate, ensuring staff are educated on AI usage.
Enforce an AI Policy
Many companies have AI policies in place, but enforcing them can be tricky. A common approach involves distributing AI policies and hoping for compliance—a strategy that often falls short of managing security risks. Security teams may encounter two main options:
- Secure Browser Controls: Some choose this method to monitor AI traffic, but usability can suffer as users find workarounds.
- DLP or CASB Solutions: Using existing systems can help track AI use, though it often creates excessive noise.
Finding the right balance between control and usability is crucial for effective policy enforcement.
Apply AI Use Cases for Security
While the conversation typically focuses on securing AI, it’s essential for security teams to propose innovative AI use cases relevant to security operations. This not only showcases commitment but also demonstrates the impact AI has on enhancing security processes. Documenting these use cases—particularly in areas like detection and response—can significantly strengthen presentations during AI committee meetings.
Reuse Existing Frameworks
Instead of crafting new governance structures from scratch, security teams can integrate AI oversight into established frameworks such as the NIST AI RMF and ISO 42001. The NIST CSF 2.0, which includes a “Govern” function, is a practical example that provides a robust foundation for AI security governance.
Lead AI Governance in Your Organization
CISOs have a unique chance to take charge of AI governance. By adhering to the CLEAR framework—creating inventories, understanding user behavior, enforcing policies, applying meaningful use cases, and utilizing existing structures—they can deliver substantial value and drive successful AI strategy implementation.
For those seeking to overcome challenges in adopting generative AI securely, resources like Harmonic Security are available.
The AI Buzz Hub team is excited to see where these breakthroughs take us. Want to stay in the loop on all things AI? Subscribe to our newsletter or share this article with your fellow enthusiasts.
