To learn more about Inertia Growth, visit inertiagrowth.com.

In this conversation, Allie Howe shares her journey from software engineering to becoming a security advocate in the AI space. She discusses the importance of trust in AI security, foundational practices for startups, and the need for continuous risk assessments. Allie emphasizes the role of security as a business enabler and the necessity of integrating security into the culture of organizations. She introduces her product, Verde, which automates AI security assessments and highlights the importance of moving away from traditional point-in-time audits. The discussion also covers common misconceptions in AI security and the importance of vetting tools used in AI development.

Takeaways

• Security is a business enabler, not a roadblock.
• Trust is a continuous thing you have to prove.
• Investing in trust helps your product be more secure.
• Speed is everything in early-stage startups.
• Security is not a one-size-fits-all solution.
• Assume breach is a healthy security model.
• We need to move away from point-in-time audits.
• Security needs to be a culture mindset.
• Vet your MCP servers before you submit data.
• Trustworthy AI is AI that's revenue generating.

Chapters

00:00 From Software Engineer to Security Advocate

02:56 The Role of Trust in AI Security

06:06 Foundational Security Practices for Startups

08:50 Identifying Red Flags in AI Security

11:51 Automating AI Security Assessments with Verde

14:45 The Importance of Continuous Security Monitoring

18:04 Building Trustworthy AI: A Holistic Approach

21:08 Navigating Security Frameworks and Compliance

23:45 The Security Maturity Curve for Startups

27:04 Overhyped and Underhyped AI Security Risks

29:46 Empowering Non-Technical Users in AI Security

To connect with Allie, follow her on X @vtahowe

To learn more about Inertia Growth, visit inertiagrowth.com