Ready, set, AI: How to build a secure network infrastructure for success

CISOs’ jobs are not getting any easier. In many organizations, the C-suite is pressing for the rapid adoption of new AI tools, but if the underlying infrastructure is not properly secured to support these solutions, the business will end up exposed to a whole new realm of potential threats.

From data poisoning and model hijacking to unauthorized access and compromised identities, these threats can have severe consequences: operational disruptions, serious financial losses and the leaking of sensitive data.

Simply put, securing your infrastructure is a business imperative in the era of AI. It should be at the top of every CISO’s AI to-do list.

• ALSO READ → A CISO’s guide to mastering the risks and potential of AI

A proven partnership for security expertise

Keeping security strong across hybrid and multicloud environments isn’t easy. Attackers are going after identities and applications because these hold the keys to sensitive data. Stolen credentials, insider threats and weak spots in applications are some of the most common ways breaches are happening.

The biggest headaches include complexity, blind spots and maintaining consistent security policies across different cloud platforms.

This is where NTT DATA and Cisco come in. For over 30 years, we’ve kept organizations’ networks running smoothly and securely. Cisco’s unified network and security platform gives teams a clear view of their entire environment and a simpler way to manage it, while NTT DATA’s consulting and managed services keep everything secure across on-premises, cloud and edge.

Now, we’re taking it a step further with AI-powered infrastructure and secure networking.

Why SASE is the new standard for robust security

NTT DATA’s “Secure to Edge” vision emphasizes the need for end-to-end security across your entire network topology, from laptop to cloud.

Cisco’s architecture supports this vision by reinforcing security from every endpoint all the way to the cloud instead of relying on centralized controls. Their cloud-native security service edge (SSE) positions inspection and policy enforcement closer to users and devices.

Our vision and Cisco’s advanced technology, including Cisco Secure Access, come together in our Managed SASE  service, which combines networking and security into a unified, cloud-delivered service.

Secure access service edge (SASE) is a framework that combines software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) with a range of SSE capabilities and controls, including zero trust network access.

While traditional security models assume internal trust and rely on perimeter defenses, the zero trust model — as adopted by Cisco — assumes every attempt to access is a breach and continuously verifies every connection, whether it involves a user, a device or an application, before granting access. This enforces granular, context-aware security policies across hybrid environments.

Within this environment, we deploy strong identity and access management, data-loss prevention, encryption and secure application development practices to safeguard your data, users and applications at all times.

• ALSO READ → From laptop to cloud, SASE is the answer to your security woes

Integrating AI and automation with security

Our partnership with Cisco is always evolving to keep pace with new security needs, which is why we’re integrating AI and automation to improve our threat-detection and response abilities. This includes using AI-driven behavioral analytics and security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR) to detect and mitigate threats in real time.

Deep learning models can quickly identify anomalies and zero-day threats, while GenAI supports human security analysts with instantly generated contextual insights. And now, agentic AI is increasingly automating routine tasks to enable even faster triage and resolution — think of it as SOAR on steroids.

New technologies are also changing the way we protect data and keep systems resilient. Some of the key areas to watch are:

• Training AI models securely and putting clear rules around how large language models (LLMs) are used
• Using privacy-preserving analytics so sensitive data stays protected, even in AI-heavy environments
• Preparing for the future with post-quantum cryptography to stay ahead of the next generation of cyberthreats (future quantum machines could crack today’s widely used encryption, which is why Cisco is testing quantum-resistant algorithms across its networking and cloud platforms)

These advances — if implemented expertly and strategically — translate into measurable efficiency gains for your security operations center (SOC).

Cisco adds serious AI firepower

Cisco’s acquisition of Robust Intelligence in 2024 has further strengthened their AI security abilities, adding tools for model testing, real-time protection and better visibility into AI activity within the Cisco Security Cloud.

Additionally, the Cisco AI Defense platform — which protects AI models, applications and infrastructure — includes modular offerings such as AI Cloud Visibility and AI Runtime Protection to monitor model behavior and secure AI workloads in real time.

In partnership with NTT DATA, Cisco extends these capabilities through full-stack managed services to introduce robust protection for your AI models every step of the way, from building them to putting them into use, so that your organization can develop and run GenAI apps confidently and in compliance with regulations and governance requirements.

Furthermore, Cisco’s SOC solutions, integrated with NTT DATA’s services, give you real-time visibility and fast, automated threat responses. They pull in data from backbone networks and use AI to spot and stop threats before they cause damage.

Features like dynamic playbooks, rich context for investigations and predictive analytics make these solutions stand out. They’re built to handle multitenant environments and simplify compliance reporting for highly regulated industries.

• ALSO READ → The AI privacy dilemma: How to balance progress and protection

Security modernization in action

One of our clients, an Australian university, was running on an outdated SOC that couldn’t keep up with modern threats. It lacked visibility, scalability and the ability to innovate, and wasn’t built for proactive threat hunting or AI-driven security.

We partnered with Cisco to completely rebuild the university’s SOC. The project included:

• Moving to a next-generation SecOps platform with threat intelligence, AI-assisted detection and faster incident response
• Rolling out Cisco’s advanced security tools across endpoints, networks and the cloud
• Pulling all telemetry into one SOC, boosting visibility from 14Gbps to 100Gbps
• Shifting to a hybrid setup with both serverless and server-based systems

As a result, visibility increased sixfold, with real-time threat detection and response, and the university’s IT team shifted from reactive to proactive security.

How you benefit from the NTT DATA and Cisco approach

So, what will your organization gain from using NTT DATA and Cisco’s security solutions? In short, expect stronger protection, less risk and a smoother experience for your teams and customers.

Our flexible, AI-ready systems and services make security easier to manage and speed up your digital transformation. You benefit from faster threat detection and response, less downtime and better alignment with changing regulations. We can also modernize older systems and keep your cybersecurity investments aligned with your overall business goals.

Together, Cisco and NTT DATA — global leaders in networking and systems integration, respectively — help you figure out where you stand with the convergence of your security and network functions and where you need to go.

Through structured assessments that look at everything from operational resilience and identity management to AI risks and SOC upgrades, we uncover the gaps and create a clear, step-by-step security roadmap for your organization. This roadmap ties your cybersecurity plans to your network and AI strategy, regulatory needs and digital transformation efforts, and includes change management, training and metrics.

Amid so many constantly evolving threats, can your organization afford anything less than this level of security and expertise?