Harmonic Security has emerged from stealth with $7 million in seed funding led by venture capital firm Ten Eleven Ventures, with participation from Storm Ventures and 14 other private investors.
The company is focused on helping organizations utilize generative artificial intelligence without compromising their data.
Generative AI Is a Top Priority for Many Organizations
Many organizations are investing in generative AI, which is reflected in the following results from a Gartner poll of 1,400 executive leaders:
- 78% of respondents noted that they believe the benefits of generative AI outweigh its risks.
- 55% said that they are piloting generative AI apps or have generative AI apps in production.
- Roughly 8,400 generative AI apps are available.
Most AI apps are unregulated, Harmonic pointed out. With these apps, there are no clear policies that indicate how data will be used, where it will be transmitted or how it will be kept secure. Using these apps increases the risk of "shadow AI" in which employees utilize unregulated AI apps with or without permission — and put their organizations' data at risk.
Harmonic Security Mitigates the 'Wild West' of Unregulated Generative AI Apps
Organizations are currently in the midst of the "wild west" for generative AI, Harmonic CEO Alastair Paterson said. Most AI apps do not meet basic security standards and have unclear data policies, which puts organizations at risk of violating GDPR and other data security regulations.
Harmonic provides organizations with insights into AI adoption across their operations, the company said. Organizations can leverage Harmonic's risk assessments of AI apps and identify high-risk AI services that can lead to compliance, security or privacy incidents. Furthermore, Harmonic helps organizations control access to their AI apps and ensure that their security teams can protect their data.
What the Future Holds for Harmonic Security
There is a "critical need" for Harmonic, Paterson asserted. Meanwhile, Harmonic is committed to "protecting data integrity, promoting responsible AI use and fostering trust in tomorrow's technological advancements," according to the business.
Harmonic looks poised to continue to provide organizations with visibility into their AI apps. In doing so, the company can help these organizations secure and manage these apps and use them to become more productive and efficient than ever before.
