In Episode 8 of The Balancing Act Podcast, Ryan O'Halloran (VP of Security Strategy at In Balance) and Jeremy Smolik (Director, Solution Architecture, Americas at Crowdstrike) discuss the crucial role of combining human expertise with AI to tackle sophisticated cyber threats. CrowdStrike utilizes AI to streamline tasks for analysts and enhance decision-making, but the human element is still essential for data classification and fine-tuning AI models. A key focus is reducing "breakout time" — the speed at which attackers can move through a system post-compromise — by concentrating on identity security and cloud-native defenses. Defenders are encouraged to accelerate data analysis and automate responses to swiftly address potential risks, emphasizing a proactive approach to cybersecurity. Ultimately, a unified platform is necessary to integrate data and deploy automated tools that effectively counter and neutralize threats.