Article
2 min read
Andy Rossiter
  • Global SVP of Google Cloud at Endava

The age of AI – powered by platforms like Google Vertex AI – is here, but it comes with a massive security paradox: innovation speed vs. data protection. AI models are hungry for your most sensitive, proprietary data, making your Google Cloud environment a prime target.  

 

To tackle this, modern organisations need a dual security strategy that moves beyond siloed tools. 

 

  1. 1. Wiz: the cloud security architect

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Wiz excels at proactive prevention. Operating with agentless visibility, Wiz acts as your Architect, meticulously identifying and shoring up weaknesses in your infrastructure:  

 

  • Risk mapping: It doesn’t just list vulnerabilities; it maps the Attack Paths that lead to your critical assets (like BigQuery training datasets).  
  • Secure foundation: Wiz ensures your Vertex AI Notebooks, GKE clusters and storage buckets are configured securely and comply with policy before deployment.  
  • Outcome: You start secure and accelerate MLOps by catching toxic combinations of risk early. 

 

  1. 2. Google SecOps: the real-time sentinel

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  3. Google SecOps (Chronicle Security Operations & Mandiant) provides the continuous monitoring and defence. It acts as your Sentinel, standing guard and enabling rapid, intelligent response: 

 

  • Unrivalled detection: Chronicle ingests all security telemetry at scale, spotting subtle behavioural anomalies (e.g., unusual data access from a service account).  
  • Intelligent Response: It enriches every alert with Mandiant’s frontline intelligence, confirming if a threat is active and critical.  
  • Outcome: You stay secure and respond instantly to sophisticated threats that bypass initial defences.  

 

The synergy for sensitive data  

 

In an AI landscape, this synergy is non-negotiable. The Architect (Wiz) establishes the secure walls around your sensitive data. The Sentinel (SecOps) watches the gates, detecting the moment a threat actor compromises an identity and tries to move laterally toward the data. 

 

Don't choose between speed and security. Implement this dual-layered defence to build, deploy, and innovate with confidence on Google Cloud.