AI has quietly embedded itself across the enterprise but many security teams are still guarding it like a single tool, not the shared risk it’s become.

On this episode of Ctrl + Alt + AI, host Dimitri Sirota sits down with Aqsa Taylor, Chief Research Officer at Software Analyst Cyber Research, to break down how AI is changing the speed, scale, and structure of modern cyber threats. Drawing from direct conversations with CISOs, Aqsa explains why AI shortens attack timelines, lowers the barrier for sophisticated threats, and forces security teams to rethink response and recovery.

The conversation focuses on what security leaders are missing as AI spreads across employees and third-party platforms. Aqsa outlines why securing AI requires treating it as an ongoing lifecycle tied to core security fundamentals rather than a one-time deployment.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why AI-driven attacks demand faster containment, not more alerts

• How overprivileged AI access quietly expands security risk

• Why cleaning data before it reaches AI should be the top of mind

Things to listen for: 

(00:00) Meet Aqsa Taylor

(00:22) Why AI risk connects directly to data security

(01:15) What CISOs are focused on right now

(02:23) AI use is unavoidable inside organizations

(03:51) Securing models and the data behind them

(04:27) How AI speeds up attacks and response pressure

(06:10) Data filtering, privileges, and prompt risk

(07:15) LLMs, copilots, and agents create different risks

(09:31) Cleaning data before it reaches AI

(11:19) Why humans should stay in the loop

(14:21) AI-driven phishing and malware scale faster

(18:01) Testing AI SOC tools against real incidents

(21:15) Governance helps but fundamentals matter more

(24:31) Managing third-party AI access and visibility

(26:49) Fix fundamentals before chasing AI threats