FinOps is a practice for managing cloud and AI spending through forecasting, visibility, and policy controls. It brings finance, engineering, and security together so teams can understand what services cost, who is using them, and where budgets are likely to grow.
In cyber security, FinOps matters because cost is a control signal. A compromised account, runaway automation, or misconfigured AI workflow can generate unexpected consumption before it causes an obvious outage. Defenders use FinOps-style controls such as budgets, quotas, anomaly alerts, and entitlement limits to spot abuse and stop waste. In real environments, this helps teams test expected usage, watch for unusual spikes, and keep metered services from turning operational mistakes into financial damage.