The window to stop a cyber attack is shrinking fast. Where retailers used to have five hours to act, now they have as little as 15 minutes, meaning speed has become a critical part of cyber defence. Learn how you can stay one step ahead in our latest webinar

With AI accelerating both cyber attacks and cyber defence, where should retailers focus their efforts? That’s the question Retail Week and tech giant IBM recently explored in an expert panel debate, which is now available to watch on demand. 

The risks, opportunities and actions retailers should be prioritising now were discussed by IBM Security Services chief technology officer Dagmar de Jong, Palo Alto Networks chief security officer Scott McKinnon, and Retail Week head of commercial content operations Laura Heywood. 

Watch the full conversation, for free, here.

One of the key themes to emerge was that AI has not fundamentally changed how cybercriminals attack businesses – they’re still exploiting familiar weaknesses such as outdated software, weak passwords and security vulnerabilities. What has changed is the speed at which they can operate.

The panel pointed to research revealing that the average time between an attacker gaining access to a system and stealing valuable data has fallen from around five hours to just 72 minutes, with some attacks taking as little as 15 minutes. You can take a sneak peek at some of the key insights here:

 

Or watch the full webinar to understand how cybercriminals are using AI to identify weaknesses and how retailers can also use the technology as an essential defensive tool.

Also joining the panel was Northstar Intelligence chief AI and security ethics officer Lianne Potter, a cybersecurity and AI risk expert who has advised organisations including the Post Office, the NHS and a leading UK supermarket. She argued that technology alone is not enough to build resilience.

Potter highlighted the importance of retailers sharing intelligence and learning from one another – even when they are competitors – stressing that resilience also requires input from across an organisation, not just security and IT teams.  

See what Potter had to say about building resilience through collaboration and planning:

 

The experts conclude that the most resilient retailers will be those that combine AI-powered security capabilities with industry collaboration and cross-functional planning. 

We’ve made the full webinar available on demand as a practical resource for you and your colleagues. Watch now.

Watch Retail Week’s latest virtual event, ‘The new cyber reality: Building retail resilience with AI as an ally’  for free to explore:

  • The cyber threats reshaping retail today and the steps leaders should take to reduce risk
  • AI on both sides of the battlefield. How attackers are utilising AI and how retailers can use it to strengthen defences
  • The rise of automation and autonomous security and what it means for threat detection and response
  • Building cyber resilience, accelerating detection, improving decision-making and recovering more effectively from incidents
  • Preparing for what’s next. The capabilities and strategies retailers need to stay ahead of future threats

Watch the full webinar now, or save to watch later.

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