Traditional Security Frameworks Leave Organizations Exposed to AI-Specific Attack Vectors

For many years, traditional security frameworks have been beneficial to organizations. However, AI systems function very differently from the applications that these frameworks were intended to safeguard. Additionally, the attacks they face do not fall under any of the current control categories.

Rob Witcher, co-founder of Destination Certification, a cybersecurity training company, states that "security professionals are facing a threat landscape that's evolved faster than the frameworks designed to protection against it." He claims that "AI-specific attack vectors weren't built with controls organizations rely on." According to Witcher, "this gap has driven demand for specialized AI security certification prep that addresses these emerging threats specifically." "These aren't bad frameworks. They're comprehensive for traditional systems," he adds. AI supply chain attacks expose another gap.

Traditional security controls focus on preventing unauthorized code execution. But AI development tools are made to run code using instructions from natural language. AI systems are being implemented throughout an organization's operations.

The majority of security teams are unable to apply AI-specific security controls that frameworks do not require, let alone inventory the AI systems in their environment. Businesses require new technological capabilities. Malicious semantic content in natural language, not just structured input patterns, must be promptly validated and monitored.

Organizations take an average of 276 days to detect a breach and an additional 73 days to contain it, according to IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report

2025.

Although AI attack vectors are not covered by traditional certifications, security teams must be aware of these threats. The detection of structured data, such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, and APIs, is the main goal of traditional data loss prevention. keys.

Successful defenses will come from organizations that approach AI security as an extension of their current programs rather than waiting for frameworks to dictate exactly what to do. Instead of creating security success stories, those who wait will be reading breach reports. Serious violations of the EU AI Act, which went into effect in 2025, can result in fines of up to €35 million, or 7% of worldwide revenue.

There has been a significant shift in the threat landscape. Security strategies must adapt to it.