The Security Strategist

"You have to think about how the online world really operates and how we make sure that data is secure. How can we trust each other in the digital world?" Robert Rogenmoser, the CEO of Securosys, asks. The answer is "encryption and digital signature."

According to Robert Rogenmoser, the CEO of Securosys, storing keys insecurely creates immediate risk. This makes it crucial to maintain strong key security. "If it's just in a software system, you can easily get hacked. If I have your encryption key, I can read your data. If I have your Bitcoin keys, I can spend your money,” says Rogenmoser.

In the recent episode of The Security Strategist podcast, host Richard Stiennon, Chief Research Analyst at IT-Harvest, speaks to Robert Rogenmoser, the CEO of Securosys, about safeguarding the digital world with cryptographic keys. Rogenmoser puts up a case to rally Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) as the best solution for this critical challenge.

In addition to discussing how hardware security modules (HSMs) protect encryption keys, they also talk about the evolution of HSMs, their applications in financial services, the implications of post-quantum cryptography, and the integration of AI in security practices. 

The conversation stresses the importance of key management and the need for organisations to adapt to emerging technologies while ensuring data security.

In order to mitigate the cybersecurity risks, the priority is to securely store the keys, control access, and generate impenetrable keys that cannot be easily guessed by cyber criminals. HSMs are the ultimate solution to the key issue, believes Rogenmoser. 

Firms tend to shift their data to the cloud, making it even more essential to secure keys. The main challenge arises when both the data and the keys are managed by the same cloud provider, as this setup can compromise the integrity of key control and raise concerns about data sovereignty. 

However, Securosys approaches this challenge differently. Rogenmoser explains that organisations can keep their data encrypted in the cloud. At the same time, they keep the key somewhere else, where only they have control over it.

Rogenmoser pointed out the company's patented system for multi-authorisation of Bitcoin keys. This system is essential because blockchain transactions are high-stakes and irreversible.

"Crypto custody for bitcoins or any cryptocurrency is a major business for our HSM," he said. Banks that hold large amounts of customer crypto cannot afford a single point of failure. "A blockchain operation is a one-way thing. You sign a transaction, and the money is gone."

The multi-authorisation system addresses this issue by requiring a "quorum" of people to approve each transaction. Rogenmoser explained, "You can say this transaction can only be signed and sent to the blockchain if one out of three compliance officers signs this, plus two out of five traders." 

This approach creates a "more secure system" because "the HSM then checks, do we have a quorum? Did everyone actually sign the same transaction?" Only after verification is "the actual key for the blockchain […] used to sign a transaction and send it to the blockchain."

Looking to the future, Rogenmoser believes HSMs will be vital for securing the growth of artificial intelligence (AI). With "AI and AI agents doing tasks for us, they might modify things or purchase items on our behalf," which requires both authorisation and attestation.

• HSMs are essential for protecting encryption keys.
• The Swiss National Bank was a key client for Securosys.
• Securosys HSMs are used to secure financial transactions worth trillions.
• Cloud-based HSMs offer convenience but require careful key management.
• Post-quantum cryptography is a significant industry transition.
• NIST is developing algorithms resistant to quantum attacks.
• Multi-authorisation systems enhance security in cryptocurrency transactions.
• AI will require new security measures and audit trails.
• Organisations must assess their key management practices.
• Transitioning to post-quantum systems will take time and planning.

• 00:00 Introduction to HSMs and Their Importance
• 03:55 The Role of HSMs in Financial Services
• 08:44 Post-Quantum Cryptography: Preparing for the Future
• 13:30 Multi-Authorisation Systems in Cryptocurrency
• 16:48 AI and the Future of HSMs
• 19:19 Key Takeaways for IT Decision Makers

Securosys SA, based in Zurich, is a global leader in cyber security, encryption and digital identity protection, prioritising data sovereignty. Their Swiss-built Hardware Security Modules (HSM) secure financial markets, serving over half of the Tier 1 banks worldwide. Certified to the highest standards, their on-premises and cloud HSM solutions offer secure key generation, encryption, digital signing, and post-quantum readiness for finance, healthcare, government, and other industries.

"With any new technology, there's always a turning point: we need something new to solve the old problems,” states Jeffrey Hickman, Head of Customer Engineering at ORY, setting the stage for this episode of The Security Strategist podcast.

The key challenge enterprises face today, pertaining to identity and security, particularly, is the quick rise of AI agents. Many organisations are trying to annex advanced AI features into old systems, only to realise, post-cost investment, that serious issues have come to the surface. The high number of automated interactions could easily overload the current infrastructure. 

"The scale of agent workloads will be the weak spot for organisations that simply try to apply current identity solutions to the rapidly growing interaction volume,” cautions Hickman. 

In this episode of The Security Strategist podcast, Alejandro Leal, Host, Cybersecurity Thought Leader, and Senior Analyst at KuppingerCole Analysts AG, speaks with Jeffrey Hickman, Head of Customer Engineering at ORY, about customer identity and access management in the age of AI agents. 

They discuss the urgent need for new self-managed identity solutions to address the challenges posed by AI, the limitations of traditional Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM), and the importance of adaptability and control in identity management. The conversation also explores the future of AI agents as coworkers and customers, emphasising the need for secure practices and the role of CISOs in pulling through these changes.

Hickman explains that many companies face an immediate and serious issue at the moment. He said: "The scale of agentic workloads will be the Achilles heel for organisations that simply try to map existing identity solutions onto the drastically ballooning interaction volume."

This scale not only overwhelms current systems but also creates perilous complexity. AI agents, acting on their own or on behalf of humans, lead to a huge increase in authentication events. This is called an "authentication sprawl." Such strain on old technology often positions security as an afterthought.

The main unresolved technical issue is context: figuring out what an individual agent is allowed to do and what specific data it can access, Hickman tells Leal. "The problem is defining the context—what an agent is allowed to do and gather. Legacy IM solutions don't address this well; it's an unsolved area."

To gain the necessary control, organisations must move beyond complicated scope chains and rethink how granular permissions function. Meanwhile, the risk of AI-driven phishing targeting human users, fueled by manipulated prompts, will grow until we can ensure the authenticity of human-in-the-loop moments using technologies like Passkeys.

Also Read: OpenAI leverages Ory platform to support over 400M weekly active users

• The rise of AI agents is reshaping customer identity management.
• Traditional SIAM systems struggle with the scale of AI interactions.
• Adaptability is crucial for organisations facing new identity challenges.
• Control over identity solutions is essential for enterprises.
• Security must not be sacrificed for user experience.
• AI agents can amplify existing identity management challenges.
• Organisations need to understand the permissions of AI agents.
• The future of identity management is evolving rapidly.
• CISOs must embrace modern standards for identity solutions.
• Observability in identity management enhances security and adaptability.

00:00 Introduction to Customer Identity and AI Agents

03:00 The Impact of AI on Identity Management

06:13 Challenges of Traditional SIAM Systems

08:58 The Need for Adaptability in Identity Solutions

11:49 Control and Flexibility in Identity Management

15:12 Future of AI Agents and Security Practices

17:49 Key Takeaways for CISOs

With tens of thousands of active projects and trillions of identities managed across its open-source and managed environments, Ory is on a mission to redefine what it means to secure digital identities (customers, employees, partners, machines, and agents). Ory provides a modern and modular approach to c/IAM programs that provides unmatched scale, user experience, and deployment flexibility. From open-source to self-managed but supported enterprise licenses, to a fully managed and compliant global service, our composable architecture allows organisations to easily customise experiences for their users.

"The harsh reality is the site wasn't real. The ad was fake. The reality is you've clicked through to a steward ad that's taken you to a fake site. That fake site then has taken your details, your credit card,” articulated Lisa Deegan, Senior Director, UK and International Growth at EBRAND, in the recent episode of The Security Strategist podcast.

Host Richard Steinnon, Chief Research Analyst at IT-Harvest, sits down with Deegan to talk about cybersecurity in brand protection against online fraud. They explore how AI is being used by criminals to create convincing fake shops, the impact of these scams on consumer trust, and the need for a comprehensive approach to brand protection. 

Deegan emphasises the importance of understanding consumer behaviour, the mechanics of online scams, and the necessity for organisations to adopt proactive strategies to combat these threats. 

While the digital world seems like a boon to most, about two-thirds of humanity (five billion people), to be precise. This online community, heavily relying on mobile devices, have become prey for savvy cybercriminals. These criminals are now using Generative AI to create highly convincing, yet entirely fake, online retail experiences.

Deegan, a cybersecurity and brand protection expert at EBRAND, illustrates the situation trapping the digital community. She asks the audience to imagine a consumer scrolling through social media, sees an ad for a favourite brand offering a deep discount. The consumer clicks, is taken to a professional-looking website that appears legitimate, enters payment details, and loses their money. The product never existed, and the consumer's data is stolen. The speed and scale of these attacks are unprecedented; single campaigns can target over 250,000 people in a single day, points out Deegan.

The EBRAND senior director proposes a massive change in brand protection strategy. Instead of just dealing with surface-level violations, she wants to target the underlying criminal infrastructure. 

"It's no longer about firefighting individual infringements. It's about looking at the domains, the ads and the payment channels cyber criminals are using. And it's also the bad actors before that.”

“It's bringing that all together and making sure that you're taking it down the infrastructure at source so that it's leaving them no opportunity to rebuild again," added Deegan.

The speakers agree that the traditional method has become a continuous "whack-a-mole" game against sites that instantly reappear due to AI. To be effective, brands "need to embed monitoring with intelligence and rapid enforcement" to break down the entire operation, making it too costly and difficult for the criminals, who will "eventually get fed up and move on to some other soft target."

• The landscape of online fraud is rapidly evolving due to AI.
• Two-thirds of humanity is now online, increasing vulnerability.
• Fake shops can deceive consumers with convincing ads and websites.
• Trust in brands is significantly impacted by online scams.
• Organisations need to dismantle the networks behind scams, not just individual sites.
• AI can be used for both scams and brand protection.
• Consumer education is crucial in combating online fraud.
• The rise of autonomous AI poses new challenges for brand protection.
• Monitoring and rapid enforcement are essential for effective protection.
• Every department in an organisation has a role in brand protection. 

• 00:00 Introduction to Cybersecurity and Brand Protection
• 02:55 The Evolution of Online Fraud
• 05:56 The Impact of AI on Scams
• 09:03 Understanding the Mechanics of Fake Shops
• 12:10 Strategies for Effective Brand Protection
• 14:44 The Role of AI in Brand Protection
• 17:52 Consumer Awareness and Education
• 21:00 Engaging with EBRAND for Protection Solutions

EBRAND detects and eliminates infringements, supporting streamlined, well-protected organisations. Safeguarding IP, cyberspace, and domain portfolios, we deliver the tools you need to stay ahead of scammers and impersonators in an AI-enhanced ecommerce world. With local experts and an international scope, our hubs across Europe, North America, and Asia boost and protect leading organisations across the globe. Comprehensive EBRAND services meet business needs across sectors, industries, and markets, so get in touch! Together, we'll implement a future-proof solution to help your team embrace your next challenges with the tools to succeed.

Identity fabric, a contemporary, flexible identity and access management (IAM) architecture, should “be involved at every stage of authentication and authorisation,” says Stephen McDermid, CSO, EMEA at Okta Security. 

According to CISCO’s VP, 94 per cent of CISOs believe that complexity in identity infrastructure decreases their overall security. 

In this episode of The Security Strategist podcast, Alejandro Leal, podcast host and cybersecurity thought leader, speaks with McDermid about Identity Fabric, the modern threats to identity security, the role of AI in cybersecurity, and the importance of collaboration among industry players to combat these novel threats. 

Stephen emphasises the need for organisations to adopt a proactive approach to identity governance and to recognise that identity security is a critical component of overall cybersecurity strategy.

Enterprises today face a complicated web of users, applications, and data. Identity, once hailed as a small IT problem, is now at the forefront of cyberattacks, and they are becoming highly lucrative targets for cybercriminals. 

Alluding to recent high-profile breaches on the UK high street, McDermid points out the financial impact estimated in hundreds of millions of dollars. The common feature observed among these cyber incidents is the misuse of “poor identity governance.” This happens when users’ old login information lacks multi-factor authentication (MFA) or when attackers use social engineering to reset passwords. 

The reality today is that attackers now use automation and AI to find valid identities, which makes their work easier than ever, owing to a vast number of compromised credentials available online. The scale of the threat is massive. McDermid noted that "fraudulent sign-ups actually outnumbered legitimate attempts by a factor of 120." This indicates that organisations need to accept that "a breach is inevitable."

Ultimately, McDermid's message was clear and pressing. He urged CISOs to understand where their identities are throughout their businesses. Furthermore, he stressed on the need to assume a breach and consider how to respond. 

The CSO also called for them to challenge their SaaS vendors to commit to the new standards. In his opinion, only through this type of collective action can the security community hope to make a difference in what seems to be a losing battle right now.

• Identity Fabric is a framework for managing identities at scale.
• Modern attacks exploit poor identity governance and lack of MFA.
• Organisations must assume breaches are inevitable and prepare accordingly.
• AI can enhance identity threat detection and response.
• Collaboration among vendors is essential for improving security standards.
• Human oversight is crucial in AI decision-making processes.
• Shared Signals Framework improves API efficiency and security.
• Interoperability is key to addressing identity security challenges.
• Organisations should centralise governance of identities throughout their lifecycle.
• CISOs must stay informed about emerging threats and trends.

• 00:00 Understanding Identity Fabric
• 02:21 Modern Threats to Identity Security
• 06:32 Collaboration in Cybersecurity
• 10:38 AI Agents and Identity Security
• 14:14 Key Takeaways for CISOs

Enterprises can no longer afford the old trade-off between speed and safety. Developers are under constant pressure to release code faster. At the same time, security teams face an endless stream of new threats. The middle ground is clear, and that is software must be secure and resilient from the start, without slowing innovation.

This is the philosophy Ian Amit, CEO of Gomboc AI, shared in a recent conversation with Dana Gardner, Principal Analyst at Interarbor, on the Security Strategist podcast. Amit argues that the next era of DevSecOps depends on rethinking how engineering and security come together.

The traditional push to “shift security left” has often backfired. Developers face alert fatigue, drowning in warnings that obscure the real issues. Security teams end up chasing vulnerabilities rather than preventing them. Amit reframes the goal as engineering excellence:

“I want to be proud of my code. It should be secure, resilient, efficient, and fully optimized. That’s what I call engineering excellence.” — Ian Amit, CEO, Gomboc AI

Attackers only need to succeed once; defenders must be right every time. By closing the gap between development and operations, organizations can cut MTTR and reduce risk exposure.

Generative tools can accelerate development, but they introduce instability.

“With that 10x code, you’re also getting 10x the bugs,” Amit explains.

Deterministic approaches, by contrast, deliver repeatability and precision. Neither alone is a silver bullet. As Amit puts it:

“Use generative to cut through tedious work. Use deterministic approaches to align output to your own standards. You don’t want someone else’s standards creeping into your environment.”

The future of enterprise security isn’t about more checkpoints. It’s about weaving security into development pipelines, enabling distributed teams to collaborate without friction. Gomboc AI’s approach centres on reducing engineering toil and empowering enterprises to achieve fast, safe, and automated development.

• Traditional shift-left security can create alert fatigue.
• Generative tools speed development but may increase bugs.
• Deterministic approaches offer accuracy and repeatability.
• Mean time to remediate (MTTR) is the most critical success metric.
• Collaboration across distributed teams is essential.
• Security must integrate seamlessly with DevOps processes.

00:00 Introduction to DevSecOps and Its Importance

03:08 Challenges in Traditional Shift Left Approaches

06:07 The Role of AI in Development and Security

08:58 Balancing Generative and Deterministic AI

11:52 Automation and Metrics of Success in Security

14:44 Collaboration in Distributed Teams

17:59 Integrating SecOps into Existing Processes

20:56 Future of AI in DevSecOps

23:53 Gomboc AI's Approach to Bridging Gaps

Gomboc.ai is a cloud infrastructure security platform built to simplify and strengthen security at scale. By connecting directly to cloud environments it provides complete visibility and protection across risks. Its deterministic engine automatically detects and fixes policy deviations in Infrastructure as Code (IaC), delivering tailored, policy-aligned fixes as pull requests or commits straight into existing DevOps workflows. With Gomboc.ai, enterprises eliminate security backlogs, accelerate remediation, and release with confidence—without slowing innovation.

In an era of AI, it’s no longer a question of whether we should use it, but instead, we need to understand how it should be used effectively, conveys Sam Curry, the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Zscaler. He believes that the growth of agentic AI is not meant to replace human security teams; rather, it aims to improve the industry as a whole.

In this episode of The Security Strategist podcast, host Richard Stiennon, an author and the Chief Research Analyst at IT-Harvest, speaks with Curry, Zscaler CISO, about the need for a shift to a model derived from authenticity, the role of agentic AI in security operations, and the criticality of awareness in adopting to changes brought by AI.

The conversation also touches on the necessity of establishing trust and accountability in AI systems, as well as the implications for cybersecurity professionals in an increasingly automated world.

The cybersecurity industry is constantly warring against malicious actors. As attackers become more skilled, especially with AI in the picture now. Security professionals must step up their skills just to keep pace with the advancements brought by AI. Instead of taking away jobs, it enables security experts to break free from repetitive manual tasks. Such a transition allows them to focus on more complex and strategic work.

"We spend a lot of our time in the SOC doing manual tasks repetitively and trying to glue things together," Curry says. "When you manage not to think about the tools, your ability to perform a task improves drastically."

AI adaptations bring other changes that also help IT teams find better ways to perform their jobs. They move from simple detection and response to a more proactive approach to security. Curry believes that in this new environment, there will still be plenty of jobs; they'll just be more engaging and valuable.

For universities and educational institutions, the rise of AI in cybersecurity poses a significant challenge. The traditional emphasis on technical certifications like Certified Ethical Hacking and Security+ is no longer adequate. Future jobs will demand a deeper understanding of fundamental principles.

"They're going to have to walk over to the philosophy department," Curry explains. "They'll probably need to engage with the social sciences department. Understanding ethics and logic is crucial because they have to work with AI and assess whether the information it provides is logical."

The key is in coding, running scripts, but most importantly, it’s in learning to collaborate with AI as a partner. However, a boost in education is necessary to help cybersecurity professionals comprehend the principles of logic, ethics, and sociology. Such an approach to awareness will help IT teams find their way through the convoluted relationships between humans and AI.

As agentic AI becomes more common, we are shifting away from traditional security models. Authentication and authorisation are no longer sufficient. The new reality calls for a focus on authenticity.

• The rise of agentic AI necessitates a new security model based on authenticity.
• AI is not just a tool for attacks; it can enhance defensive strategies.
• Organisations must consider privacy and data handling when implementing AI.
• The role of cybersecurity professionals will evolve, focusing on more complex tasks.
• Education in cybersecurity must adapt to include ethics and logic.
• AI can help automate repetitive tasks, allowing for more interesting work.
• Trust and accountability are crucial in the deployment of AI systems.
• Consumption metrics can provide deeper insights into product value.
• Understanding user engagement is more important than just satisfaction surveys.
• The future of cybersecurity will involve continuous adaptation to new threats. 

• 00:00 The Rise of Agentic AI in Cybersecurity
• 09:05 The Future of Cybersecurity Jobs
• 12:45 The Role of Education in Cybersecurity
• 19:42 Establishing Trust in Agentic AI

It has been eight years since the NIST Special Publication 800-190: Application Container Security Guide was published, and its recommendations remain central to container security today. As cloud-native applications have become the foundation of modern enterprise IT, securing containers has shifted from an afterthought to a critical priority.

In this episode, Richard Stiennon, Chief Research Analyst at IT-Harvest and host of Security Strategist, discusses container security with John Morello, CTO and Co-Founder of Minimus, and Murugiah Souppaya, Former Computer Scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Together, they focus on NIST Special Publication 800-190, exploring its role in providing best practices for securing containers, the recommendations outlined in the guide, and the approach required for effective container security. 

The conversation also examines current best practices and the future of container security, emphasizing the importance of compliance and the integration of security throughout the development lifecycle.

NIST’s framework was designed for both government and industry, offering guidance on how to:

• Integrate security early in the application lifecycle.
• Apply a holistic approach from hardware to workload.
• Build with minimalistic and secure container images.
• Maintain compliance with regulations and standards.
• Continuously monitor and update security practices.
• Understand the full container lifecycle from creation to retirement.

As Murugiah Souppaya explains:

“We want to make sure that people think of container security holistically, and also think about the full lifecycle management of the container itself. Like anything else in the enterprise, you want to look at this end-to-end and fill those gaps.”

NIST SP 800-190 arrived at a time when containers were new to most organizations. Now, they have become the standard way to deploy applications at scale.

John Morello recalls:

“Around 2016 or so, containers were pretty new in the world. Containers and containerization in other forms had existed in the past, but it was really becoming a mainstream technology that was commonly used across many organizations.”

This fast-paced adoption forced organizations to rethink their security culture. Containers required not only new technical controls, but also a shift in mindset: security had to be built-in from the start.

• Container security became critical with the rise of cloud-native applications.
• NIST aims to provide guidance for both government and industry.
• The 800-190 guide offers a framework for securing containers.
• Security must be integrated early in the application lifecycle.
• Containers require a shift in security culture and practices.
• Holistic security involves securing hardware to workload.
• Best practices include using minimalistic and secure images.
• Compliance with regulations is essential for container security.
• Continuous monitoring and updating of security practices are necessary.
• Understanding the full lifecycle of containers is crucial for security.

00:00 Introduction to Container Security and NIST 800-190

02:58 The Importance of NIST in Container Security

05:52 Key Recommendations from the NIST Guide

08:44 Holistic Approach to Container Security

11:53 Current Best Practices in Container Security

14:47 Future of Container Security and Continuous Improvement

Minimus solves the endless treadmill of cloud software vulnerabilities by simply preventing them from existing. Minimus provides secure, minimal container and VM images, rebuilt from scratch daily to eliminate over 95% of CVEs.
Founded by the team behind container security pioneer Twistlock, Minimus raised $51 million seed funding from YL Ventures and Mayfield. The company is headquartered in Baton Rouge with offices in New York, Tel Aviv, and Portland, OR. To learn more, visit minimus.io.

AI is rapidly changing how cybercriminals operate. Social engineering, once easy to spot, has entered a new era. Phishing emails that used to be riddled with spelling mistakes and clumsy language are now polished, persuasive, and tailored using data scraped from social media and other online sources. The result? Messages that look legitimate enough to trick even the most security-aware employees.

In this episode of Security Strategist, host Trisha Pillay sits down with Director of Threat Research at N-able, Kevin O’Connor to unpack how AI is reshaping phishing and what it means for businesses, especially small and medium-sized organizations that often lack the resources to keep up. Drawing on insights from the N-able Threat Report, O’Connor explains why traditional defenses and old-school user training aren’t enough to stop today’s AI-crafted scams.

O’Connor says:

“In the past, phishing emails were easy to spot, you’d see clumsy grammar mistakes, generic wording, they were just very obvious. But with the new wave of AI-enabled phishing emails, we’re seeing tailored attacks that pull from social media profiles and other sources. These messages are highly polished, they look convincing, and the worrying part is that attackers can now do this at scale. That means even IT professionals and security pros are at risk.”

Why Even Experts Are Falling for AI-Powered Phishing

Drawing on insights from the latest N-able Threat Report, this is why the shift is so dangerous:

• AI is changing the landscape of social engineering. Messages are tailored, credible, and increasingly difficult to block or filter.
• Phishing emails are now more convincing than ever. Attackers can create unique, targeted scams instead of blasting out obvious mass emails.
• Even experts are vulnerable. IT teams and security professionals are no longer immune.
• User training must evolve. Old advice like “look for spelling mistakes” won’t cut it anymore. Employees need new skills to recognize modern threats.

The conversation also looks ahead at what enterprises can do now to strengthen defenses, updating training, and preparing for a future where AI will play a role on both sides of the cybersecurity battle.

• AI is changing the landscape of social engineering.
• Phishing emails are now more convincing than ever.
• Even tech-savvy employees can fall for scams.
• SMBs are increasingly targeted due to their vulnerabilities.
• User training must evolve to address modern threats.
• Two-factor authentication is critical for financial transactions.
• Organizations need to know their data exposure.
• Incident response planning is essential for preparedness.

Automated responses can enhance security measures.

The threat of compromise is a matter of when, not if.

00:00 Introduction to AI-Driven Threats

02:09 The Evolution of Phishing with AI

05:42 The Rise of Attacks on SMBs

08:56 Preventative Measures for Organizations

12:36 The Future of AI in Cybersecurity

Kevin O’Connor is the Director of Threat Research at N-Able and brings over eight years of experience in U.S. Intelligence Community and Department of Defense cyber operations, gaining first-hand insight into how nation-state adversaries think and operate. He later applied that expertise in private industry threat research, translating intelligence into practical, enterprise-grade security solutions. O’Connor continues to focus on Threat Research, bringing those capabilities from a startup to a larger organization, increasing reach, insights, and cross-industry impact.

O’Connor’s strength lies in bridging technical depth with strategic insight. He can analyze advanced persistent threats and kernel-level exploits while advising business leaders on risk, investment, and operations. With expertise in offensive cyber operations, defensive engineering, and threat intelligence, he turns complex security challenges into actionable strategies that help enterprises stay resilient.

"What we're seeing as a response to coding agents is one of the biggest risks in security vulnerabilities to date,” said Jaime Jorge, Founder and CEO of Codacy. “It's almost like a game to see how fast we can exploit vulnerabilities in some of these applications that are created so quickly."

In this episode of The Security Strategist Podcast, Richard Stiennon, Chief Research Analyst at IT-Harvest, speaks with Jaime Jorge, the Founder and CEO of Codacy, about secure software development in the age of AI. 

The speakers talk about how quickly coding is evolving due to AI tools, the rise of autonomous coding agents, and the major security issues that come from this faster development. 

Jorge emphasised the importance of maintaining security practices and highlighted Codacy's role in providing thorough security analysis to ensure that AI-generated code is safe and reliable. The discussion also looks at the future of AI in software development and what IT leaders need to do to manage these changes.

The world of software development is changing dramatically, the Codacy founder conveyed on the podcast. With AI tools like GitHub Copilot and Cursor becoming mainstream, developers are writing code faster than ever. Host Stiennon refers to this new era as "vibe coding," meaning the ability to create code at an incredible speed.

However, this speed can bring serious and risky consequences. Data has shown that AI-generated code often has vulnerabilities. Some studies have found that these vulnerabilities can reach as high as 30-50 per cent. A Front Big Data study reported that 40% of the code suggested by Copilot had vulnerabilities. “Yet research also shows that users trust AI-generated code more than their own.”

This trend is widening the gap between quick development and secure, enterprise-grade software.

“Without a doubt, one of the most significant trends that we're seeing is coding agents,” the CEO of Codacy told Stiennon. “Autonomous coding agents are becoming extremely skilled at taking a prompt and creating full-fledged products, getting even to the intentions that users have.”

However, the challenges of autonomous agents cannot be denied. Jorge believes this is more than just a technical issue. It reflects a basic misunderstanding of how to use these powerful new technologies.

He pointed out that it's dangerous to assume we can completely hand over decisions about the code generated by AI. Important software development practices, such as building security into the design and having human code reviews, shouldn't be overlooked. 

The convenience of using AI to quickly generate code for a project means we have a greater responsibility to review the code ourselves, to evaluate it, or to ensure that other people approve it.

Jorge’s key message to CISOs, CTOs and IT decision-makers is that AI is here to stay and that their teams are already likely using it. This wave is hard to ,ride but “you have a choice in how to ride it.”

"AI-generated code can secure our tools, and our agents are empowered with security capabilities. You can move fast if you have the right guardrails."

The best practices Codacy developed over decades, such as CI/CD, code review, and security by design, are the tools that can help them use AI effectively. 

• AI tools are accelerating software development significantly.
• Autonomous coding agents are becoming increasingly capable.
• The speed of development introduces new security vulnerabilities.
• 30-50% of AI-generated code contains vulnerabilities.
• Security practices like code reviews are more important than ever.
• Companies are still defining policies for AI use in coding.
• Codacy provides end-to-end security analysis for code.
• AI can enhance security if integrated properly into workflows.
• IT leaders must adapt to the rapid changes in coding practices.
• The future of coding will involve more collaboration between AI and human developers.

• 00:00 Introduction to AI in Software Development
• 02:54 The Rise of Autonomous Coding Agents
• 05:47 Security Challenges in Rapid Development
• 09:12 Codacy's Approach to Security
• 12:08 Future of AI in Software Development
• 15:09 Key Takeaways for IT Leaders

Codacy is a developer-first, API-driven platform that provides a curated collection of best-in-class code analysis, AppSec scanning, and AI governance tools.

Codacy integrates seamlessly into existing development workflows, empowering development teams to deliver secure, high-quality software faster. 

Codacy is the only DevSecOps platform that delivers plug-and-play AppSec and Code Quality for AI-generated and human-written code. Future-proof your software – from source code to runtime – without extra servers or build steps. Deploy within minutes and stay ahead of emerging risks today.

"When you're encrypting the traffic and giving the keys only to the owner of the traffic, it provides a specific door for attackers to walk right in,” stated Eva Abergel, the Senior Solution Expert at Radware.

In this episode of The Security Strategist Podcast, Richard Stiennon, the Chief Research Analyst at IT-Harvest, an author and a trusted cybersecurity advisor, speaks with Abergel about how Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) encryption is creating new challenges for cybersecurity professionals. 

They also talked about how DDoS attacks have changed to take advantage of new weaknesses that are hidden in plain sight within encrypted traffic. They discussed what organisations need to do to improve their defences.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) encryption is known to have made the internet safer, especially from DDoS attacks. However, it has also created new opportunities for attackers. Threat actors in the modern day are leveraging encrypted traffic to camouflage malicious activity. Unfortunately, traditional cybersecurity tools have been unsuccessful at spotting and blocking these hidden attacks. This is simply because they cannot decrypt the data of such modern-day cyber breaches.

Abergel says that unless an organisation can decrypt the traffic, it cannot see what's inside, allowing sophisticated DDoS attacks to go undetected. This presents a dilemma for IT decision-makers, as they are understandably reluctant to surrender the "keys to their castle" by allowing a third party to decrypt their protection walls.

Especially, with the rise of “tsunami attacks”, in other words, DDoS attacks, the network layer becomes more vulnerable. Attackers deliberately target the application layer of a protected network to overwhelm the application, not the entire network. 

Essentially, hackers take advantage of a grey area in cybersecurity, explains Abergel. "WAFs are not equipped to deal with sophisticated web DDoS attacks. And network layer mechanisms and defences for DDoS attacks cannot recognise a DDoS attack on the application layer only by looking at the network layer."

This means attackers found a comfortable and effective spot to launch their campaigns, often without severe consequences.

Also Watch: From Prompt Injection to Agentic AI: The New Frontier of Cyber Threats

What is the solution when an organisation can't share their encryption keys? This is a major concern, especially for regulated industries that are legally prohibited from sharing this sensitive information to even the most trusted cybersecurity firms. 

To learn more about the solution, and how Radware can help you defend against modern cybersecurity threats, watch the podcast on EM360tech.com. You can watch the video version on our YouTube channel, @EM360Tech, or listen to the audio version on EM360Tech’s Spotify series, The Security Strategist podcast.

• DDoS attacks have evolved significantly since their inception.
• HTTPS encryption, while beneficial, has created new vulnerabilities.
• Modern DDoS attacks often mimic legitimate traffic, complicating detection.
• AI is accelerating the sophistication of DDoS attacks.
• Organisations must balance user experience with security measures.
• The financial sector faces severe consequences from DDoS downtime.
• Solutions exist that do not require sharing encryption keys.
• CISOs should seek tailored solutions for their specific needs.
• Understanding the threat landscape is crucial for effective defence.
• Proactive measures are essential to stay ahead of evolving threats.

• 00:00 Introduction to DDoS Attacks and Their Evolution
• 02:52 The Impact of HTTPS on DDoS Attacks
• 06:08 Modern DDoS Attacks: Scale and Sophistication
• 08:46 AI's Role in DDoS Attacks
• 12:05 Challenges in Mitigating Application Layer DDoS Attacks
• 14:58 Finding Solutions Without Decryption Keys
• 17:02 Key Takeaways for IT Decision Makers