Palo Alto Networks and Accenture Collaborate to Protect Companies During Their GenAI Transition

Palo Alto Networks and Accenture have announced a strengthening of their strategic relationship to support businesses embracing Generative AI (GenAI) as a transformative journey. Through the integration of Accenture’s secure generative AI services and Palo Alto Networks’ Precision AITM technology, the partnership aims to enable businesses to fully use AI while maintaining unmatched protection.

AI innovation without security is a risk not worth taking. 🛑

Our expanded strategic alliance with @Accenture ensures your AI journey is fortified against evolving cyberthreats, so you can innovate boldly without compromise. https://t.co/Iv9gVod09C pic.twitter.com/6OumplUBiU

— Palo Alto Networks (@PaloAltoNtwks) May 13, 2024

The implementation of GenAI is accelerating, offering enterprises facing the rise in AI-generated cyberthreats both opportunity and challenges for change. According to a recent Accenture poll, 97% of organisations acknowledge that GenAI has the potential to revolutionise their industry, yet just 31% have committed substantial funds, highlighting the challenge of successfully scaling AI programmes while reducing security threats. By helping joint clients navigate the challenges of adopting AI, Palo Alto Networks and Accenture hope to close this gap. This will allow them to realise a secure AI future by carefully designing, implementing, and utilising AI technologies that enhance cybersecurity and add value.

Nikesh Arora, chairman, and CEO at Palo Alto Networks, emphasized the pivotal role of AI in transforming enterprise operations when deployed strategically. “AI is transformational to every aspect of the enterprise business when used the right way,” stated Arora. “With Accenture, we’re uniting Precision AI-powered solutions and services expertise, helping our joint customers use the best of AI to create value for their business today and in the future — with better real-time security outcomes.”

Through the partnership, Accenture’s extensive AI diagnostic services and Palo Alto Networks’ Secure AI by Design initiative will work together to establish a secure AI ecosystem that puts the integrity of AI security frameworks first while reducing data exposure and enhancing security compliance. Offerings across platforms will comprise:

Securing GenAI builds: From data intake to model training and deployment, data analysis, and visualisation, the unified solution will secure the full data/AI framework lifecycle, protecting against vulnerabilities.

AI discovery and exposure management: Palo Alto Networks’ state-of-the-art AI Security Posture Management and AI Access Security technologies underpin Accenture’s AI Discovery & Exposure Management service, which offers a holistic solution to govern and protect AI environments.

Proactive threat detection and prevention: Accenture’s services capabilities paired with Palo Alto Networks’ AI cybersecurity products powered by Precision AI will allow clients to protect data with policy controls, detect and stop AI-generated attacks, and proactively address threats specific to AI.

Responsible AI practices: Palo Alto Networks and Accenture are dedicated to encouraging the use of AI in an ethical and responsible manner. They will use AI cybersecurity evaluations to help build responsible and safe standards throughout their respective organisations.

Karthik Narain, group chief executive — Technology at Accenture, echoed Arora’s sentiments, highlighting the significance of Generative AI in driving reinvention across industries. “Generative AI is being adopted by companies across industries as the #1 lever for reinvention,” Narain remarked. “It is also a moment of reinvention for cybersecurity – creating new risks, but also providing new tools. Accenture and Palo Alto Networks are helping clients confidently navigate each phase of their AI journey, ensuring cybersecurity is prioritized right from the outset.”

In order to meet specific client needs, Palo Alto Networks will work closely with Accenture Security as a design partner to customize Palo Alto Networks AI Runtime Security. 

This will protect enterprise data, models, and business applications powered by AI in real-time from foundational and AI-specific cyber threats. The collaboration comes months after the introduction of Strata Copilot for network security.