November is here, the nights are drawing in and the end of 2025 is coming sharply into focus. This month we take a look at the recent AWS outage and how to implement AI without compromising cyber security.
Internet down
We have all become so used to technology in our everyday lives that it will have been a bit of a shock to those affected by the recent AWS outage. Some banking apps and HMRC were down, Alexa and Ring cameras not working, as were social media and gaming sites such as Snapchat, Reddit, Fortnite and Roblox. As this BBC article outlines, it looks like a DNS issue was to blame rather than anything more sinister. Fortunately, these sort of outages are rare, though they do serve as a reminder that those black swan events can and do happen so having a business continuity plan is wise.
Business AI safety
AI is fast becoming an indispensable tool for businesses large and small with tangible productivity gains, automating repetitive tasks and enriching data analysis. However, there are associated data security, privacy and cyber security implications to consider. One of the key potential risks is data leakage. AI models need data and if this sensitive customer data, financial information or proprietary work product is sent to third-party AI models, understanding how and when this information will be used is vital to maintaining security. Another issue is overreliance and automation bias with many taking AI-generated content as accurate when it might well not be – without checking the information, decision-making could be sub-optimal. To get the best out of AI whilst maintaining security:
- Establish an AI usage policy with limits and guidelines using only approved tools and vendors
- Choose enterprise-grade AI platforms with the required regulatory compliance and data residency controls
- Segment sensitive data access via role-based controls to ensure AI tools only access specific types of information
- Monitor AI usage to understand what and how information is being accessed by whom to help spot risky behaviour
