Key Insights from the RSA Conference: Privacy and AI Take Center Stage

This week, the annual RSA conference wrapped up in San Francisco, drawing executives from around the world to discuss next-generation trends and changes in the security industry. With an intensified focus on privacy, spurred by AI technologies and new global privacy regulations, the conference highlighted the ever-narrowing gap between privacy and security. 

Based on our conversations with thousands of security experts, here are privacy’s top takeaways from RSAC 2024... 

1) Privacy and security establishing a more unified front

This year’s RSA conference reflected an increasing business integration between privacy and security. Discussions moved beyond the “check box” basics of complying with data privacy regulations. Instead, CSOs, CISOs, and CPOs were urgently grappling with privacy questions that traced straight back to creating business value.

From reducing risk in the business to amplifying innovation with trusted data, to improving customer trust and gaining operational efficiency - all in the face of increasing global complexity - both privacy and security executives wanted to understand how better user data management could help their organizations get ahead.   

2) Real-time data overview an urgent business goal

One recurring theme we heard on the conference floor was an urgency for enterprise companies to establish real-time, comprehensive views of their user data. This was no surprise to us as it’s one of our migration success stories from legacy methods.

Executives reaffirmed that they’re struggling with legacy survey-based methods and noted these manual tasks are proving inadequate and outdated in the face of today’s business realities. As many leading executives already know, a real-time data context layer is essential for driving business value and ensuring business continuity. 

The conversations at RSA continued to emphasize the importance that both security and privacy executives are placing on establishing a single source of truth for data for enterprise success. 

3) Understanding security risks in the privacy landscape

The convergence of privacy and security was especially apparent in discussions about the security risks posed by the wide swathe of privacy vendors with extensive, unfettered access to company systems and user data. 

As companies work to secure and manage user data with automation, the role of security in privacy practices is becoming increasingly critical. For example, most security professionals cited a need for privacy teams to more deeply understand the untenable risks of privacy vendors that have unfettered read-and-write access to company systems.

As a company founded on a proprietary security model, we were thrilled to hear this privacy industry vulnerability championed so loudly by security professionals. 

Image courtesy of IAPP Instagram 

In addition to the above key trends, a standout session at RSA was the panel on AI governance, moderated by Trevor Hughes, President and CEO of the IAPP. Panelists included Barbara Cosgrove of Workday, Emma Redmond of OpenAI, Anu Talus of the European Data Protection Board, and Ruby Zefo of Uber. The discussion delved into the ethical and governance issues surrounding AI, offering profound insights into how companies can navigate these complex fields.

Connecting Beyond RSA

Our booth at RSA became a hub for engaging discussions, where we addressed pressing questions and shared expertise on enhancing data understanding and security practices. If you missed us at RSA or couldn’t attend, we invite you to connect with our team to explore how you can enhance your organization’s data privacy and security strategies.

As privacy and security continue to converge in important ways, the discussions at RSA confirm that the path forward for next-generation business value is through holistic, integrated approaches that consider both fields as two sides of the same coin.