Accenture expands AI cybersecurity services & workforce

Accenture has announced the expansion of its generative AI-powered cybersecurity services aimed at bolstering business and cyber resilience.

The company's latest offerings address the growing use of generative AI and dark large language models (LLMs) by cybercriminals to conduct sophisticated cyberattacks. Researchers from Accenture's cyber intelligence team have documented a 223% increase in deepfake-related tools being traded on dark web forums in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period the previous year. This surge underscores the necessity for organisations to integrate advanced AI-driven cybersecurity measures that can detect, respond to, and prevent threats in real-time.

Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture, stated, "Modern cybersecurity protects across the entire business—from the digital core to the supply chain—and draws on gen AI-powered and quantum-proof protections, which are vital as cybercriminals ramp up new kinds of attacks using advanced AI technologies. Our new cybersecurity services and centres help our clients use the latest technologies to safeguard their critical assets and increase their resilience, so they can reinvent with confidence and create more value faster."

Paolo Dal Cin, Global Lead for Accenture Security, commented, "The cybersecurity landscape is at a crossroads of unprecedented technological advancements and mounting challenges compounded by geopolitical and systemic supply chain risks. Helping our clients adopt cybersecurity solutions powered by gen AI will enable them to effectively navigate change, accelerate business protection and become cyber-and business-resilient organizations."

Accenture has introduced several new services, including 'Secure AI Solutions', which establishes resilience across an entire AI program lifecycle. These solutions incorporate red-teaming and adversarial simulations to identify vulnerabilities within AI systems, including LLMs. Another service, 'Deepfake Protection', utilises monitoring and detection technologies to combat AI threats impacting communication channels. Additionally, 'Business Cyber Crisis Recovery' aims to enable quick restoration of essential infrastructure across various industries, significantly reducing the downtime associated with cyberattacks.

The 'Quantum Security Suite' offers strategies for enhancing data security by replacing outdated technology with quantum-safe algorithms, as recommended by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology.

To streamline cybersecurity operations, Accenture has also enhanced its core offerings with 'Accenture mySecurity', a suite that integrates generative AI into various cybersecurity services. This system aims to protect against AI-driven threats efficiently.

One of Accenture's ongoing projects involves assisting the Kuwaiti Government's Central Agency for Information Technology in strengthening cybersecurity infrastructure by establishing a National Security Operations Center. This project, supported by Accenture's Cyber Future Centers and focused on protecting key national organisations, utilises generative AI technology.

Accenture is expanding its global network of cybersecurity facilities by launching new Cyber Future Centers. These include a generative AI Security studio in Brussels and a Quantum Security Center and Lab as well as a Cyber Physical Security center in Bengaluru. The network now includes over 40 locations in 22 countries.

The company has increased its cybersecurity workforce by more than 30% in 2024, now employing over 25,000 professionals. Since 2015, Accenture has acquired 19 security firms, recently adding Innotec Security and Mnemo Mexico to enhance services in Europe and Mexico.