Microsoft's Security Dashboard for AI, now in public preview, helps CISOs and AI risk leaders manage AI security by aggregating risk signals and providing tools for governance, inventory of AI assets, and risk context for better investigation and remediation.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/02/16/microsoft-security-dashboard-for-ai-tool/
NIS2, an update of the EU's cyber security framework, aims to enhance resilience against evolving threats across more sectors, covering essential and important entities. It introduces five key compliance requirements: risk management, incident reporting, cyber security practices, third-party risk management, and workforce security training. NIS2 is an ongoing process, not a one-time compliance task. The directive sets a baseline for accountability and resilience in cyber security across the EU.
Living risk registers prioritize real cyber resilience by integrating compliance into risk management. Ann Dunkin advocates for a quarterly review process quantifying non-compliance consequences, aligning security with daily decision-making. Compliance traps often arise from structural flaws in funding and mandate authority. Effective cybersecurity requires collaboration between CIOs and CISOs, focusing on a team's culture and flexible incident response. As AI advancements create more complex risks, organizations must adapt strategies to safeguard against evolving threats.
https://www.thesecuritydigest.com/news/living-risk-register-compliance-ann-dunkin-georgia-tech
AI services like Grok and Microsoft Copilot can be exploited by attackers as covert command-and-control (C2) proxies, blending malicious traffic with legitimate communications. This technique allows AI-driven malware to dynamically adapt its behavior based on real-time context from infected systems, potentially making it harder to detect. Check Point Research (CPR) details methods for achieving this, including the use of web interfaces to relay commands and data without traditional authentication barriers. The research outlines the evolving landscape of AI-driven threats, predicting a shift towards adaptive, context-aware malware that could significantly enhance the precision and speed of cyberattacks. Defensive strategies need to evolve alongside these threats, emphasizing monitoring and securing AI service interactions against abuse.
Challenges for CISOs:
Advice for CISOs:
Key Insights:
CISO roles have evolved due to AI, shifting focus to accountability and managing hybrid teams of humans and AI. Security leaders must adapt to automation providing insights while remaining responsible for outcomes. Compromises in security are often necessary for business objectives, and quantifying cyber risks can mislead strategy. Evaluation of security products now prioritizes machine-speed operation and organizational impact over traditional features. Organizations must recognize the risks of vendor reliance, ensuring contingency plans for potential failures. Adaptation to AI-driven capabilities is crucial for maintaining security in a rapidly changing landscape.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/02/16/john-white-torq-agentic-ai-security/
In 2025, organizations faced escalating cyber threats, with a weekly average of 1,968 attacks, an 18% year-over-year surge. Attackers are employing advanced techniques like ClickFix, leading to human-triggered attacks instead of traditional malware delivery. Concurrently, insufficient patching and unmanaged exposures foster vulnerabilities, emphasizing the need for Exposure Management as a proactive operating model. Key trends reveal gaps in action, shifting social engineering, volatile ransomware strategies, and reduced time-to-exploitation. The focus should be on actionable remediation rather than detection alone, advocating for safe, continuous exposure reduction to effectively combat modern threats.
https://thehackernews.com/expert-insights/2026/02/the-uncomfortable-truth-about-more.html
Employees are using AI tools without official sanction, creating a “shadow AI workforce” that poses risks in data security and compliance. This trend emerged alongside the rise of generative AI tools, reflecting employees' desire for efficiency. HR must address this issue proactively by establishing clear AI policies, promoting safe usage, and fostering open communication about AI use. Ignoring or punishing this behavior can stifle innovation; instead, organizations should leverage it for strategic advantage by providing proper guidelines and training.
Promptware attacks on AI language models create complex malware risks. A seven-step “promptware kill chain” outlines stages from initial access via prompt injection to command execution for malicious purposes. Defenses must evolve from reactive strategies to systematic risk management, addressing continued threats as agents gain more access.
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-promptware-kill-chain
A study by Binghamton University found that companies with strong cybersecurity readiness and transparency about cyberattacks perform better financially. The study analyzed conference call transcripts from top U.S. public companies to gauge how cybersecurity risks were discussed and their impact on market valuation. The findings emphasize the importance of acknowledging and addressing cybersecurity issues for improved firm performance.
https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-cybersecurity-pay-links-readiness-stronger.html
