Acronis has announced the global availability of Acronis GenAI Protection, a control, monitoring and security solution that allows managed service providers (MSPs) to monitor and control the use of generative artificial intelligence tools in their clients’ environments, avoiding the exposure of sensitive data and reducing risks associated with the uncontrolled use of these technologies.
Acronis GenAI Protection represents the first phase of Acronis Cyber Workspace, a proposition that will continue to incorporate new capabilities to deliver a secure AI work environment, natively integrated into the Acronis platform, and designed to help organizations better control how AI is adopted.
Monitor and protect the use of AI
In a context in which organizations are rapidly adopting generative AI tools, many companies, especially SMEs, are facing new challenges related to information leaks, the unauthorized use of AI tools – known as shadow AI – or the lack of mechanisms to control how these solutions are used on a day-to-day basis. Added to this is the risk of sharing sensitive data on external platforms without adequate safeguards.
Acronis GenAI Protection responds to this challenge by providing partners with a solution specifically designed to monitor, protect and control the use of generative AI in enterprise environments, with a special focus on SMEs.
Control AI through MSPs
Acronis GenAI Protection has been designed to be deployed, managed and marketed by MSPs. Through a centralized console built into the Acronis platform, providers can monitor the use of AI tools in their customers’ environments, apply policies, generate reports and mitigate risks, all allowing them to control AI interactions along with data, applications and endpoints.
“The adoption of generative AI is accelerating, but it also introduces risks that many companies are not yet prepared to manage,” says Gaidar Magdanurov, president of Acronis. “MSPs are in a unique position to help organizations adopt AI safely, but until now they did not have adequate tools to effectively monitor and control its use. GenAI Protection allows you to turn AI security into a managed service, opening new business opportunities while protecting your clients against emerging risks.”
Integrated protection for the use of generative AI
Acronis GenAI Protection provides visibility and the ability to control AI usage without requiring additional solutions or adding unnecessary complexity.
Among its main capabilities are:
- Visibility into the use of AI tools: Identify and monitor generative AI applications used in customer environments to understand their level of adoption, and better control risk exposure.
- Protection of sensitive data in interactions with AI: analysis of prompts to detect sensitive information, such as personal data, and prevent its sending to public or unauthorized tools, also contributing to regulatory compliance and allowing the flow of critical information to be controlled.
- AI Misuse Prevention: Detection and blocking malicious prompts designed to manipulate AI behavior or compromise internal processes, helping to control potential emerging threat vectors.
MSPs are uniquely positioned to help organizations safely embrace AI.
“More than half of SMEs already use artificial intelligence tools, especially in areas such as marketing and sales, where they seek to improve their productivity and efficiency,” says Matthew Ball, Chief Analyst at Omdia. “However, the growing use of AI tools, both corporate and consumer, introduces new security risks that force MSPs to take an active role in controlling their management.”
As AI continues to evolve, Acronis plans to incorporate new capabilities to protect, manage, automate and control the use of these technologies within its Cyber Workspace proposition. These improvements will allow MSPs to optimize their daily operations, while strengthening data protection, digital assets, and the ability to control increasingly complex environments.
