AI vs AI: The Cybersecurity War

The Tech Trek

Arlene Watson, a product and engineering leader in the cybersecurity space with experience at CrowdStrike, ServiceNow, and Tenable, joins the show to unpack the critical challenges facing cybersecurity teams today. We dive into breach realities, the need for proactive defenses, how automation is reshaping security operations, and why AI is both a threat and an essential tool. If you’re building, managing, or securing software in today’s threat landscape, this episode is for you.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Breaches are a daily reality – Most go unreported, but every breach should raise alarm bells because attackers may be setting the stage for larger, future infiltrations.

Automation is critical – Repetitive, manual tasks in cybersecurity can and should be automated to free up teams for higher-value, offensive strategies.

AI expands the threat and the solution – Generative AI introduces exponential risk, but it's also becoming a core component of advanced cyber defense strategies.

💬 Quote to Highlight:

"The moment someone says they know all the adversaries that will show up tomorrow, we know that’s not the fact. Our job is to chase the unknown and prepare for it." — Arlene Watson

⏱️ Timestamped Highlights:

00:00 – Intro to Arlene Watson and the state of cybersecurity today

00:33 – Why breaches are more common than we think

02:14 – Breaches must always raise alarm bells

05:26 – Understanding the hierarchy of high-value assets

08:23 – Automation trends in product engineering for cybersecurity

11:35 – Why cybersecurity budgets often lag behind priorities

15:04 – How AI is growing the cybersecurity attack surface

18:28 – Can AI help defend against adversarial AI?

21:22 – Prioritizing cybersecurity product development: foundation, automation, and integration

25:10 – Connect with Arlene via LinkedIn