As cyber threats grow increasingly complex, enterprises are turning to artificial intelligence to strengthen their defenses and stay ahead. AI is no longer just an advantage; it is becoming essential to modern cybersecurity strategies.
Rajeev Ranjan, Editor, Digital Terminal, engaged in an exclusive conversation with Sai Surapaneni, Global Practice Head, Enterprise Cybersecurity & Risk Services, InfoVision, to discuss how AI is reshaping enterprise security. Sai also shares practical advice for CISOs beginning their AI journey and sheds light on InfoVision’s approach in the evolving Indian cybersecurity landscape.
Rajeev: How do you foresee the role of AI evolving in enterprise cybersecurity over the next 3–5 years?
Sai: AI in cybersecurity is quickly moving from being a promising advantage to becoming a core foundation for enterprise security. As attackers weaponize AI to launch increasingly sophisticated and automated attacks, organizations have no choice but to counter with AI-powered defenses that bring together intelligent automation, behavioral analysis, and real-time threat detection.
This need is amplified by the global cybersecurity talent shortage, with nearly 4.8 million unfilled roles as of 2024, pushing enterprises to rely on AI to handle critical tasks such as threat hunting, vulnerability management, and SOC alert triage. By automating these complex processes, AI enables smaller, highly skilled teams to deliver the same or even greater impact that once required large security operations.
Looking ahead, AI will be embedded across the entire cybersecurity lifecycle, from predictive threat intelligence and attack surface monitoring to automated incident response, transforming today’s competitive advantage into the baseline standard for every enterprise.
Rajeev: What are the biggest challenges enterprises face when implementing Zero Trust at scale, and how can AI help overcome them?
Sai: The biggest challenge with Zero Trust is not its technology but convincing boards and leadership to invest in it, especially when many organizations have already spent heavily on firewalls and VPNs. Zero Trust is not a tool, but a security philosophy built on the principle of never trust, always verify, which requires rethinking how identity, access, and network policies work together.
AI makes this approach practical by analyzing user behavior, device health, and context in real time to dynamically adjust access without creating unnecessary friction for trusted users. For example, if an employee logs in from their usual corporate device and network, AI reduces verification steps, but if they log in from an unusual location or device, AI can immediately elevate authentication challenges.
At scale, AI simplifies the complexity of managing policies across thousands of users and applications by automating continuous verification and threat detection. This combination of AI and Zero Trust is no longer just a defensive model but a strategic enabler for modern enterprises aiming for cyber resilience.
Rajeev: How is AI helping detect sophisticated and evasive malware that might bypass traditional security tools?
Sai: AI is transforming malware detection by replacing static signature-based methods with dynamic behavioral analytics and predictive modeling. Modern EDR and XDR platforms leverage AI to continuously analyze file actions, memory processes, and network behaviors, enabling them to identify stealthy threats like polymorphic and fileless malware that easily bypass traditional tools.
This capability is not theoretical. CrowdStrike Falcon, for example, achieved 100 percent detection with zero false positives in SE Labs’ 2024 ransomware test, stopping all 443 ransomware variants, including zero-day attacks. In real-world deployments, Falcon’s AI-driven engine has prevented large-scale ransomware outbreaks; one healthcare provider, for instance, avoided millions in losses when the platform flagged abnormal encryption patterns, isolated compromised devices, and stopped lateral movement in real time.
Beyond ransomware, AI is proving critical against advanced supply chain intrusions, such as those resembling the SolarWinds incident. By correlating unusual communication flows and execution patterns across endpoints, AI tools can detect anomalies early, often before attackers achieve persistence. Learning from trillions of global attack signals, these AI systems significantly reduce dwell time, identifying threats within minutes instead of weeks, and enable faster, more precise responses that outpace traditional defenses.
Rajeev: What advice would you offer to CISOs and IT leaders who are just beginning their journey into AI-powered cybersecurity?
Sai: For CISOs and IT leaders beginning their AI-powered cybersecurity journey, the first step is personal upskilling as a CISO must understand AI’s capabilities and limitations to lead by example. Investing in structured training and certifications for both leadership and technical teams builds a culture of continuous learning and adaptability, which is essential because AI is not a plug-and-play solution. The next priority is assessing the current security architecture through a Zero Trust lens, identifying where AI-driven tools like EDR, UEBA, and automated incident response can enhance detection and reduce dwell time.
Equally important is board-level alignment where CISOs must clearly articulate AI’s value in terms of risk reduction, operational efficiency, and business continuity, as seen with JPMorgan Chase, which uses AI-powered anomaly detection to monitor billions of transactions daily and significantly reduce fraud risks. Finally, AI should be treated as a strategic enabler rather than a standalone technology, with CISOs leading pilot projects, measuring impact, and scaling successful initiatives to empower teams rather than replace them.
Rajeev: How does InfoVision differentiate itself from other players in this highly competitive market?
Sai: InfoVision stands out in the competitive cybersecurity market by making AI the backbone of our managed services and Next Generation SOC operations. Our AI-powered Managed Detection and Response (MDR) platform combines threat intelligence, behavioral analytics, and automated response to detect and contain threats with unmatched speed and accuracy. A major differentiator is our proprietary REG (Risk Evaluation and Governance) model, which leverages historical data to identify security gaps, automate GRC processes, and prioritize risks.
For example, we helped Fortune 500 clients automate 70% of compliance reporting, reducing audit timelines by nearly half. Building on this, we enable clients to adopt Zero Trust and cyber-resilient architectures by embedding AI across every layer of security, from advanced VAPT and compliance to IoT and hardware protection. By using AI to enhance both our own operations and client services through predictive analytics and real-time risk response, we deliver measurable improvements in detection, resilience, and operational efficiency.
Rajeev: How important is India for InfoVision as a market, and what are your growth plans for the current fiscal year?
Sai: India is an important but challenging cybersecurity market, historically slowed by limited regulatory enforcement and low awareness. However, the enforcement of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) on August 11, 2023, along with rising cyber threats, is driving a rapid shift in priorities across sectors beyond BFSI and pharma to include manufacturing, telecom, healthcare, and media.
Our strategy for this fiscal year focuses on three priorities: strengthening our presence in regulated sectors like BFSI and pharma, enabling mid-sized enterprises to achieve compliance with DPDPA and global standards such as ISO 27001 and NIST, and expanding AI-driven managed security services and next-generation SOC capabilities to deliver global-grade security to Indian clients.
We aim to bridge India’s cybersecurity maturity gap by combining advanced AI, Zero Trust principles, and proven global frameworks, not just delivering services but enabling organizations to build resilience and thrive in an evolving threat landscape.
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