# How Security Leaders Mitigate Generative AI Risks While Encouraging Innovation Source: https://keepnetlabs.com/blog/how-security-leaders-mitigate-generative-ai-risks-while-encouraging-innovation Published: 2025-04-21 Updated: 2026-10-04 Author: Ozan Ucar, Founder and CEO of Keepnet Category: Generative AI Risk Management > Security leaders are embracing generative AI for innovation, but risks like data leaks, bias, and AI-driven attacks loom large. Discover how SRMs are leveraging AI to transform security threats into wins with proactive strategies and cross-functional collaboration. Imagine a tool that can predict cyberattacks before they happen, draft incident reports in seconds, or unmask hidden vulnerabilities in a sea of data. This isn’t science fiction. It’s the reality of**generative AI (GenAI**). But with great power comes great risk. As organizations rush to harness **GenAI’s** potential, **Security and Risk Management (SRM**) leaders are walking a tightrope: enabling innovation while safeguarding against threats such as data leaks, biased outputs, and AI-driven cybercrime. How are they pulling this off? Let’s dive into the strategies reshaping cybersecurity in the age of **AI**. ## How SRM Leaders Reduce Generative AI Risks And Foster Innovation Senior risk management leaders play an important role in navigating these complexities by implementing strategies that mitigate risks while fostering a culture of innovation. Below are key approaches SRM leaders can adopt to effectively balance these dual objectives: ### 1. The GenAI Gold Rush: Adoption Is Here (But Security Is Playing Catch-Up) By **2024**, **90**% of organizations had already boarded the **GenAI** train, with over half moving past experimentation into pilots or full-scale deployments, according to **Gartner (2024**). Top use cases, data analysis (**52**%), personalized chatbots (**49**%), and research (**48**%), show**GenAI** isn’t just a shiny toy; it’s a productivity powerhouse. ![Picture 1: Top Use Cases for GenAI (Source: Gartner).](https://timely-benefit-e63d540317.media.strapiapp.com/Top_Use_Cases_for_Gen_AI_0f8c66425a.jpg) *Picture 1: Top Use Cases for GenAI (Source: Gartner).* Yet here’s the catch: only **36**%of SRM leaders feel confident in their cybersecurity team’s ability to secure these tools. Picture this: companies are building AI-driven fortresses with doors made of cardboard. Legacy security frameworks aren’t enough. GenAI’s quirks, like its knack for hallucinating false data or regurgitating sensitive information, demand tailored defenses. ### 2. Learning by Doing: Why Security Teams Are Their Own Guinea Pigs How do you secure a technology you’ve never used? You experiment on yourself. Over **40**% of cybersecurity teams are now actively using **GenAI** for threat detection, incident response, and policy audits. Teams that pilot GenAI internally boost their ability to secure enterprise-wide deployments by **28**%. **Pro tip**: Start small. Use GenAI to analyze phishing attempts or automate routine tasks. It’s like training for a marathon by sprinting first, build muscle where it matters. ### 3. The Influence Dilemma: Security Leaders Want a Seat at the Table Here’s a paradox: **70**% of SRM leaders say they influence GenAI decisions, but only **24**% have final say on what’s allowed. ![Picture 2: Decision-making Power When Using GenAI (Source- Gartner).](https://timely-benefit-e63d540317.media.strapiapp.com/Picture_2_Decision_making_Power_When_Using_Gen_AI_Source_Gartner_64988e43d4.jpeg) *Picture 2: Decision-making Power When Using GenAI (Source- Gartner).* Without early involvement, security teams risk becoming the “**Department of No**”, shut out of critical conversations until problems arise. **The fix**? Speak the language of business. Frame security as an innovation accelerator. For example, robust data governance isn’t a roadblock; it’s what lets marketers safely personalize customer interactions at scale. ### 4. Breaking Silos: The Dream Team for Secure AI **GenAI**doesn’t respect departmental boundaries, and neither should security. Leading organizations are forming cross-functional“**AI task forces**” with IT, legal, compliance, and even frontline employees. Collaboration isn’t just nice-to-have; co-creating policies with end users increases secure adoption odds by **23**%. **Try this**: Host a “**GenAI Hackathon**” where security and engineering teams jointly stress-test tools. It’s like a digital escape room, but with fewer zombies and more firewalls. ### 5. Talent Wars: Why Your Next Hire Might Be a Philosopher Over **40**% of SRM leaders admit their teams lack **GenAI** skills. But here’s the twist: technical wizardry matters less than critical thinking. Can your team spot flawed logic in an AI’s output? Detect subtle biases in training data? **Solutions**: - Recruit from unexpected fields (data scientists, ethicists). - Partner with coding bootcamps to shape GenAI curricula. - Prioritize adaptability over certifications, **AI** evolves faster than any degree program. ### 6. Winning Over the C-Suite: Speak Their Language Boards lose sleep over AI misinformation (**41**%) and privacy risks (**37**%). CIOs fear “hallucinations” (**56**%) and sketchy data practices. To secure buy-in, translate security jargon into their priorities: - “Our watermarking strategy reduces misinformation risks by **60**%.” - “Bias audits align with DEI goals, and prevent PR disasters.” ![Picture 3: Concerns and Strategies While Governing GenAI.](https://timely-benefit-e63d540317.media.strapiapp.com/Picture_3_Concerns_and_Strategies_While_Governing_Gen_AI_cc906132fd.jpeg) *Picture 3: Concerns and Strategies While Governing GenAI.* ### 7. The Roadmap: Turning Risks into Rewards To thrive in the **GenAI** era, **SRM** **leaders** must: - Experiment fearlessly (but sandbox those experiments). - Bake security into AI projects from Day 1, no more bolt-ons. - Treat every employee as a security ally, not a liability. ### Turning AI Risks into Measurable Human Resilience with Keepnet As **GenAI** accelerates the sophistication of phishing and [social engineering attacks](https://keepnetlabs.com/blog/what-is-social-engineering-what-are-the-ways-of-prevention), Security and Risk Managers need more than policies. They need measurable, real-time visibility into human vulnerabilities. [Keepnet](https://keepnetlabs.com/)’s secure behaviour management platform delivers exactly that. With a dynamic [Human Risk Score](https://keepnetlabs.com/blog/what-is-human-risk-score-and-how-does-it-help-prevent-cybersecurity-incidents), organizations can monitor risk across every vector, email, SMS, voice, QR, and MFA phishing, and drill down into root causes by department, role, and behavior. This enables security leaders to proactively harden the most vulnerable entry points and present progress in board-friendly formats, such as trend graphs and industry benchmarks. Keepnet also turns AI from a threat into a training advantage. [Keepnet’s AI-powered phishing simulations](https://keepnetlabs.com/products/phishing-simulator) mirror real-world attacks, utilizing voice cloning, deepfake scenarios, and natural language generation. Meanwhile, the [Adaptive Security Awareness Training Software](https://keepnetlabs.com/products/security-awareness-training) tailors micro-courses to each employee’s role and risk profile. The result? Teams that not only recognize advanced threats but also act on them, driving up report-to-click ratios and cutting repeat mistakes. Combined with automated re-simulation and instant in-the-moment education, Keepnet enables SRMs to transition from passive defense to continuous resilience. ***Editor's Note: This article was updated on March 12, 2026***. ## What This Means for Teams in 2026 How Security Leaders Mitigate Generative AI Risks While Encouraging Innovation is most useful when it helps teams make better day-to-day decisions. The strongest content does more than explain a concept. It shows where risk appears in real work, which actions matter first, and how teams can reduce confusion when the pressure is high. That is why practical structure matters. A short explanation, a clear response path, and a few repeatable habits usually create more value than broad advice that looks complete but is hard to use. Keepnet teams usually see stronger results when content like this is tied to a clear workflow, owner, and reporting path. A common mistake is treating how security leaders mitigate generative ai risks while encouraging innovation as background knowledge instead of a decision that shows up in real operations. ### Keepnet Recommendation - Translate the concept into a small set of practical decisions users can apply quickly. - Focus on the workflows where the issue creates the most business exposure. - Add reporting and escalation guidance so people know what to do under pressure. - Review the content regularly so examples and priorities stay current. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How should security leaders handle generative AI adoption? By governing it rather than blocking it. Approve specific tools, state clearly what data may be entered, and give teams a usable alternative, because prohibition moves usage onto personal accounts where there is no visibility. ### What is the main risk of generative AI in the workplace? Data leaving the organisation through prompts. 67% of organisations saw non-corporate generative AI use on corporate devices (Verizon, 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report, 2026, p. 12), which is exposure without any record of what was shared. ### Why do security teams need to use the tools themselves? Because you cannot write a usable policy for a technology you have not operated. Teams that experiment first produce rules that fit real workflows instead of blanket restrictions. ### How do you get a seat at the table on AI decisions? Arrive with a position rather than a veto. Leaders who bring an approved tool list, a data classification rule and a measurable risk position get consulted, those who only raise objections get informed afterwards. ### How should AI risk be presented to the C-suite? In business terms: what data could leave, what it would cost, what the approved alternative is, and what the measurable position looks like now versus a quarter ago. ### What should employees be trained on? What may and may not be entered into a public tool, why the boundary exists, and where the approved alternative is. A rule with no alternative produces shadow usage rather than compliance.