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By Michael Matias, CEO of Clarity and Forbes 30 Under 30 alumWe’re not easing into the AI era—we’ve been thrown into it. That’s how Ron Peled, founder of Sola and former CISO at LivePerson, described the current moment: “The Big Bang already happened. Now we’re just trying to contain the blast.”Ron’s clarity around AI’s impact on cybersecurity is jarring—and refreshing. He doesn’t talk about threat vectors or dashboards. He talks about control. About complexity. About what breaks when the world adopts generative AI faster than the security stack can respond.Like many of the leaders I’ve spoken with—Dorit Dor at Check Point, Tsion Gonen at Protego, Elik Etzion at Elron—Ron sees AI as both threat and tool. But what makes his voice unique is his insistence on simplicity. “The era of bloated, ‘luxury’ cybersecurity products is over,” he said. “What teams need now is focus. Precision. Clean UX. Solutions that don’t overwhelm—just work.”That perspective echoes something Tom Mes told me about CISOs today: they don’t have the luxury of managing theoretical risk. Their job is to enable the business without drowning in alerts or friction. In that sense, Sola’s approach reflects a growing pattern—cybersecurity as a minimalist, embedded experience.But Ron takes it further. He doesn’t just want cleaner tools. He wants community-based security. “Everyone talks about shared defense,” he said. “Almost no one builds for it.” He sees this as the next evolution—not more tech, but more collective action. A model that looks more like a neighborhood watch and less like a gated compound.It’s a mindset I’ve come to share at Clarity. Whether we’re tackling deepfakes or phishing automation, the organizations moving fastest are the ones who build for people, not just systems. The ones who remember that cybersecurity is, at its core, a coordination challenge.Ron also spoke to the evolving role of the CISO. No longer just a gatekeeper, the modern security leader needs to be what he calls “a productively paranoid operator”—someone who sees what’s coming and builds guardrails without becoming the roadblock.That term stuck with me: productively paranoid.Because that’s exactly what AI requires. The attacks are faster. The tools are more accessible. And the stakes—for privacy, for resilience, for trust—have never been higher.As our conversation wrapped, Ron returned to the urgency. “Organizations don’t want partial solutions,” he said. “They want defenses that move at the speed of the threats.”In that sense, the mission is simple: Build security tools that scale with AI, not lag behind it. Architect for clarity, not complexity. And never forget—the Big Bang already happened.The question now is: who’s ready to build the shield?About Michael Matias:Michael Matias is the CEO and Co-Founder of Clarity, an AI-powered cybersecurity startup backed by venture capital firms including Bessemer Venture Partners and Walden Catalyst. Clarity develops advanced AI technologies protecting organizations from sophisticated phishing attacks and AI-generated social engineering threats, including deepfakes. Before founding Clarity, Matias studied Computer Science with a specialization in AI at Stanford University and led cybersecurity teams in Unit 8200 of the Israel Defense Forces. Forbes Israel recognized him early on, naming him to the exclusive 18Under18 list in 2013 and the Forbes 30Under30 list thereafter. Matias authored the book Age is Only an Int and hosts the podcast 20MinuteLeaders.

In the age of AI agents, cybersecurity is shifting from focusing on identity to addressing agency. Autonomous agents, which act and reason like humans but operate at machine speed, are being created on the fly. Traditional identity management tools—like user directories and group policies—are ill-equipped to handle these ephemeral, unpredictable entities that can take action and disappear before a human can even react.

CyberArk’s SVP and Head of AI, Data & Research, Avihay Nathan, describes this as an unprecedented challenge. His team is tackling it with a three-part framework:

• Secure from AI: Defending against new AI-driven threats.

• Secure with AI: Using AI to augment human defenders and reduce alert fatigue.

• Secure of AI: Protecting organizations from the AI systems they themselves are deploying.

Many companies are overwhelmed by the rapid adoption of agents without understanding what data or systems these agents can access. This creates a trust crisis, and they are now looking to security vendors for solutions.

CyberArk is mapping out a new agent lifecycle, from discovery (how many agents spun up?) to observability, access control, behavior monitoring, and governance. The key insight is that securing these agents requires understanding their context: what data they touch, what tasks they perform, and why they act in a certain way. An agent's behavior is often "zero-shot," meaning it can act without a history, so context is the only way to anchor and secure its actions.

To build this new vision, CyberArk underwent its own transformation, shifting from a traditional company to an AI-native startup mindset. This involved creating a centralized AI and data group with full ownership and educating the entire organization on the importance of data.

Avihay believes the proliferation of agents will continue as companies prioritize productivity. The new security promise is not just to block threats, but to enable innovation—helping organizations adopt these powerful new technologies both confidently and safely.

By Michael Matias, CEO of Clarity and Forbes 30 Under 30 alum

For decades, cybersecurity vendors have armed defenders with dashboards filled with red alerts. But they rarely delivered solutions. As Tsion (TJ) Gonen put it in our recent conversation: “97% of tools just showed you a red screen that said, basically, ‘you suck.’” No remediation. No action. Just fatigue.That paradigm is ending—and AI is the catalyst.Gonen, a veteran cybersecurity leader and founder of Protego Labs (acquired by Check Point), has spent three decades watching the industry wrestle with inefficiency. Today, he sees a profound shift. “Security teams don’t want more tools,” he told me. “They want outcomes. They want closed loops.”This point echoes what Dorit Dor, CTO of Check Point, told me: AI isn’t just another layer of detection. It must act—autonomously and in real-time. At Clarity, we see this daily as we intercept deepfakes and AI-generated phishing attacks that move too fast for human intervention.But before the shift to AI, Gonen argues, the security industry was already in trouble. Too much noise. Not enough signal. “Cybersecurity reached a tipping point even before AI,” he said. “People began to question if the whole model was working.”AI, he believes, doesn’t just enhance existing tools—it reshapes the game. From reducing product development costs to enabling automated response, AI democratizes defense the same way it democratized attack. “The ability to close loops automatically is what makes AI transformational,” he said.It’s a point that also came up in my conversation with Shahar Peled of Terra Security. Shahar talked about replacing manual pentesting with agentic AI. Gonen’s vision is broader: don’t just find issues—resolve them, immediately and autonomously.Yet many founders, he warns, still fall into the same trap: mistaking incremental tech improvements for true breakthroughs. “Real differentiation isn’t just in the tech,” Gonen said. “It’s in how well you integrate into operational workflows.”This distinction—between technology and execution—reminds me of what Tsion (TJ) shares with leaders like Tom Mes: the CISO’s job has become impossibly complex. What they need now isn’t another blinking dashboard. It’s simplicity. Precision. And trust.Looking ahead, Gonen doesn’t expect a flood of brand-new threat categories. Instead, he sees opportunity in rethinking how we solve familiar ones. “You don’t have to invent new problems to build great companies,” he said. “You just have to solve the old ones better—with AI.”The future, he believes, belongs to startups that deliver true operational integration and seamless user experience—not flashy tech for its own sake. His call to entrepreneurs: don’t bolt AI onto your platform. Build with it from day one.My biggest takeaway? The next generation of cybersecurity leaders won’t be judged by how many alerts they generate. They’ll be judged by how many threats they prevent—automatically.We’ve reached a breaking point. Organizations that embrace AI as a core strategy—not just a feature—will define the next era of cybersecurity.About Michael Matias:Michael Matias is the CEO and Co-Founder of Clarity, an AI-powered cybersecurity startup backed by venture capital firms including Bessemer Venture Partners and Walden Catalyst. Clarity develops advanced AI technologies protecting organizations from sophisticated phishing attacks and AI-generated social engineering threats, including deepfakes. Before founding Clarity, Matias studied Computer Science with a specialization in AI at Stanford University and led cybersecurity teams in Unit 8200 of the Israel Defense Forces. Forbes Israel recognized him early on, naming him to the exclusive 18Under18 list in 2013 and the Forbes 30Under30 list thereafter. Matias authored the book Age is Only an Int and hosts the podcast 20MinuteLeaders.

Shirin Anlen traces her path from interactive storytelling to safeguarding human‑rights evidence at WITNESS. She explains how today’s scale, personalization, and ease of manipulation fuel “reality apathy,” empowering leaders to dismiss inconvenient truths as “AI.” Beyond any single tool, she argues for equitable standards, privacy‑aware provenance, usable detection, and media literacy that fits real newsroom and fact‑checking workflows—especially outside well‑resourced markets. The episode challenges tech and policy teams to treat trust as infrastructure and to involve the global majority in designing it.

With decades in cybersecurity, Benjamin Corll has seen threat landscapes evolve from simple antivirus battles to AI-driven social engineering. For Corll, every breach traces back to people—both as the strongest defense and the weakest link. In this conversation, he unpacks the persistence of ransomware and business email compromise, the rise of AI-assisted fraud, and why criminals increasingly “log in” instead of “hack in.” He explains why defense in depth must integrate technology with human training, process checkpoints, and zero trust principles. Most importantly, Corll shares how to make awareness programs relevant, engaging, and role-specific—turning employees into active sensors who strengthen security culture from within.

From disappearing people in videos in the late 1990s to shaping AI and vision systems at Intel, Tal Hassner, Chief Scientist for Computer Vision, has watched synthetic media evolve from lab curiosities to global challenges. In this conversation, he dismantles the idea that “is it fake?” is the central question for security. Instead, he lays out a three-pillar approach—provenance, attribution, and integrity—that can outlast the arms race between deepfake creators and detectors. Drawing on decades of research and product experience, Hassner explains why harmful content remains harmful regardless of its origin, and why enterprises must shift from chasing fakes to building trust into their systems from the ground up.

From phishing tests to AI-driven impersonation scams, Joshua Scarpino has seen firsthand how the human element remains the most critical factor in cybersecurity. Drawing on his experience across organizations from NIST to Trust Engine, he explains why technology alone can’t safeguard an enterprise. Instead, effective defense comes from a culture where security is personal—linked to daily habits and values employees carry beyond the workplace. With threats evolving faster than traditional training can adapt, Scarpino shares how bite-sized, relevant, and personalized awareness programs not only reduce risk but transform how teams think, act, and protect.

How do you protect an organization when every link in the chain can—and will—fail? Ira Winkler, NSA veteran and author of You Can Stop Stupid, unpacks why human error isn’t the root of security breaches—it’s the visible tip of deeper systemic gaps. From smashing the myth of awareness-as-strategy to advocating for consequence-driven behavior change, Ira brings sharp wit and decades of hands-on insight. His stories span black-bag hacks, social engineering triumphs, and boardroom-level shifts needed to reimagine how we address human vulnerabilities in a world of zero days.

What happens when your “meatspace” identity can no longer keep up with your digital life? Daniel Flowe, Head of Digital Identity at the London Stock Exchange Group, takes us inside the tectonic shift reshaping how we verify who we are online. From the flaws of content-based systems to the promise—and risks—of government-issued e-IDs, he unpacks what equitable, secure, and scalable identity should look like in an AI-infused world. With insights drawn from India, Africa, and beyond, Daniel reveals why the West is lagging—and what we must do to catch up.

Beni Beeri Issembert’s journey from aspiring philosopher to Head of AI Research and Ethics at Metaphysic is anything but linear. With a deep reverence for Nietzsche and an early curiosity about ethics in technology—long before it became a buzzword—Beni brings a rare perspective to synthetic media and AI. In this thought-provoking conversation, he explores how deepfakes challenge our sense of truth, what it means to have an identity in a world of synthetic realities, and why human discernment remains our most powerful tool. As AI continues to blur the lines between real and fake, Beni offers a hopeful yet grounded view on how we might navigate the future—with integrity, curiosity, and resilience.

Years before deepfakes hit the mainstream, Akis Papadopoulos was already sounding the alarm. From early GAN breakthroughs to today’s ultra-realistic, low-res media threats, he’s led research at the intersection of AI, media forensics, and public trust. In this episode, he explores why detection alone isn’t enough—and how explainability, user experience, and civic responsibility must shape our response to synthetic media.

Ilke Demir’s journey from computational geometry to combating deepfakes began with a question: what makes something truly human? At Intel’s Trusted Media team, she developed FakeCatcher, a tool that detects deepfakes using biological signals like heart rate. In this episode, she unpacks the technical, ethical, and social layers of media trust, explaining why provenance and human perception matter as much as detection. Her insights reveal how defending truth in the AI age isn’t just about better algorithms—it’s about understanding people.

John shares his journey into deepfake detection, exploring the challenge of making AI explainable and trustworthy for users like journalists and law enforcement. He dives into the complexities of interpreting AI results, the limits of current tools, and why human insight remains vital. His work bridges cutting-edge technology with real-world understanding to help navigate evolving digital threats thoughtfully and responsibly.

Shuky Peleg reflects on decades in cybersecurity, from mainframes to AI-driven threats. He explains why employees shouldn’t be the last defense line and explores evolving social engineering tactics. Shuky highlights the growing role of automation, risk scoring, and the need for continuous vigilance in a rapidly changing threat landscape.

Assi Ungar shares how a career that began with WordPerfect support evolved into leading global cybersecurity at scale. He reflects on why trusting nothing is now a safety measure, why process beats panic, and how empathy—not fear—is the CISO’s strongest tool. He also explores AI’s double-edged role in modern security and why protecting personal spaces is now just as vital as enterprise systems.

Fraud‑investigator‑turned‑entrepreneur Ori Eisen revives the 1990s “nobody knows you’re a dog” cartoon to show how today’s Gen‑AI deepfakes make that joke a board‑level risk. Tracing his path from inventing device‑fingerprinting to launching insured, passwordless logins, he argues identity—not credentials—is the internet’s final perimeter, urging enterprises to gauge every transaction by human‑level risk, from library cards to dam controls.

MD‑turned‑neuroscientist Nima Schei shares how modeling the brain’s limbic system led him from crab‑neuron labs to Guacamole ID—lightweight, continuous desktop authentication—while devising guardrails against deepfakes and MFA fatigue. His bio‑inspired algorithms suggest emotional intelligence in machines can raise trust, cut compute, and free teams in fast‑moving enterprises.

When Lucas Hu witnessed a deepfake breach his firm’s defenses, he recognized the limits of traditional tooling. Leveraging a decade of ML research and hands-on cybersecurity experience, he pioneered a “Swiss cheese” model—layering email, domain, and behavioral signals—to outsmart evolving phishing and deepfake attacks.

After witnessing a high-stakes breach test turn real, Joshua Crumbaugh shifted from underground hacking roots into marketing strategy, then combined both to pioneer ethical social engineering. At Phish Firewall, he applies behavioral science and AI-powered micro-simulations to train employees in role-specific threat responses and foster a culture of vigilant defense.

As deepfakes evolve at breakneck speed, Ofer Friedman sounds the alarm on how our senses and even biometric verification, can no longer be trusted. He reveals how fraudsters bypass security not by hacking systems, but by impersonating humans in real-time. From the rise of fraud-as-a-service to the failure of traditional AI defenses, Ofer unpacks a perfect storm threatening our digital identities. He shares why explainability and anomaly detection are the next frontier and why the clock is ticking.#20MinuteLeaders #DeepfakeSecurity #AIIdentityTheft #Cybersecurity #DigitalIdentity #DeepfakeThreat #FraudDetection #AIExplainability #ZeroDayThreat #OferFriedman #HumanImpersonation

Anthony Sahakian’s journey into deepfake detection began before the world even had a name for it. From navigating misinformation in authoritarian regimes to pioneering AI-driven solutions for enterprises, he shares hard-earned lessons on the limits of technology, the power of cognitive bias, and why the fight against digital deception starts with human awareness.

Cyber threats evolve constantly, but most organizations still rely on static, outdated risk assessments that leave them vulnerable. Mario Procopio challenges this mindset with CACR—Continuous Assessment, Continuous Remediation—a methodology inspired by agile DevOps principles that enables real-time risk visibility, adaptive security strategies, and faster decision-making. He breaks down how CISOs can shift from reactive defenses to proactive, dynamic risk management, ensuring security evolves as fast as the business.

Cybersecurity breaches are unavoidable, making resilience and effective response critical for businesses. My conversation with Nimrod Kozlovski, co-founder of Cytactic, highlighted how AI can transform crisis management.

Kozlovski, an expert in guiding Fortune 500 companies through cyber incidents, observed significant chaos during crises despite numerous external advisors. He noted that relying on various experts, each with their own processes, often creates confusion when clarity is most needed. This fragmented, manual approach exacerbates damages; Kozlovski points out that most cyber incident damages stem from the chaotic response rather than the initial attack. Many companies shut down unnecessarily or operate unaware of ongoing risks, leading to substantial reputational, legal, and financial harm.

The core issue, Kozlovski believes, is a lack of technological support in crisis management. While other business functions have embraced digital transformation, cyber crisis management often relies on outdated, static playbooks.

AI offers a powerful solution. AI tools, like those from Cytactic, can simulate potential crises tailored to an organization's vulnerabilities. Kozlovski emphasized that AI excels at dynamically adjusting crisis response processes in real time, unlike static traditional playbooks.

AI also streamlines communication and task prioritization by synthesizing complex data into actionable insights for faster decision-making and clearer communication. Kozlovski highlighted Israeli startups, including Cytactic, that use AI to automate threat detection and response, immediately initiating targeted actions upon anomaly detection. This significantly reduces incident severity and duration by bridging the gap between detection and response, minimizing human error.

It's clear that organizations must prioritize resilience and real-time responsiveness, with AI dramatically enhancing crisis preparation. Embracing these advanced solutions will lead to fewer disruptions, quicker recoveries, and more robust business continuity. As Kozlovski stated, "AI’s role is enormous... It enhances human capabilities dramatically, offering clarity, confidence, and consistency precisely when human teams need them most."

The future of cybersecurity crisis management lies in intelligently managing inevitable attacks. Organizations must integrate AI-driven solutions to transform their security frameworks from reactive chaos to proactive, data-driven resilience.

At 64, Alan Cahn reframed his life with a purpose: to help people live with full hearts and enlightened minds. From a challenging childhood and early countercultural days to 32 years designing transformative experiences at Landmark, Alan’s path is grounded in deep personal work. In this episode, he reflects on the power of presence, the myth of being “stuck,” and the quiet discipline behind real change. Through stories of mentorship, mistakes, and micro-decisions, he shows how anyone—at any age—can live a life aligned with purpose.

What happens when cutting-edge AI research meets real-world urgency? Yossi Matias reflects on decades at the forefront of innovation—from early machine learning to deploying life-saving healthcare tools and advancing AI agents that accelerate scientific discovery. Through stories of rapid transformation, he reveals how research, curiosity, and responsibility converge to shape technology with global impact.

#AIInnovation #TechForGood #MachineLearning

Cybersecurity is no longer just about preventing breaches—it’s now about enabling innovation securely in a fast-moving, AI-powered world. As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in everything from microservices to digital platforms, cybersecurity needs a major mindset shift. Daniel Shechter, CEO of Miggo Security, cybersecurity leader at 8200, and Havazalot program alumni, offers exactly that.

Daniel’s journey—from jazz saxophonist to military intelligence, McKinsey consultant, and now startup founder—reflects a rare ability to simplify complex challenges. It’s a skill that’s more vital than ever as AI and cybersecurity rapidly converge.

In our conversation, Daniel spotlighted a critical but often overlooked domain: application-layer security. Traditionally, app security focused on static code scans or endpoint defenses. But today’s systems run on microservices, rendering those approaches outdated. As Daniel explained, “Endpoints are losing many functionalities over time, shifting largely to SaaS in the backend. That’s what we protect.”

This shift demands a new approach—one built on observability and real-time application detection and response. He compared today’s digital platforms to intricate water networks where threats can flow undetected. To keep up, security can’t just be reactive—it must be deeply integrated and proactive.

The need for speed has never been clearer. Daniel cited eye-opening stats: AWS’s CISO reported that attacks tripled or quadrupled with the rise of generative AI. Even more alarming, attackers can now exploit known vulnerabilities in as little as 22 minutes—down from 100 days just a few years ago.

For Daniel and Miggo Security, the mission is clear: secure innovation. “We’re here to facilitate innovation securely, responding dynamically as threats evolve,” he shared. In other words, cybersecurity can no longer be a barrier to progress—it must be the enabler.

AI’s role in cybersecurity, especially at the app layer, calls for adaptive strategies that evolve as fast as threats do. Daniel’s approach—deep tracing, observability, and real-time response—embodies this necessary evolution.

This conversation left me convinced: cybersecurity is entering a transformative era. Legacy tools and static defenses simply won’t cut it. Organizations must adopt agile, AI-driven solutions to protect and empower their growth.

To stay ahead, companies need to prioritize flexibility and speed. In this new landscape, success belongs to those who can adapt faster than threats evolve.

The message is clear: embrace AI-driven, adaptive cybersecurity—or risk falling behind.

In a world where cybersecurity threats evolve faster than our defenses, AI-driven risks are becoming the frontline challenge for enterprises. To gain deeper insights into this rapidly shifting landscape, I spoke with Maor Saubron, Head of Corporate Security at Amdocs, whose decades-long journey through cybersecurity offers an unparalleled view into how organizations can effectively respond to emerging threats.Maor leads a team of over 200 security professionals at Amdocs, a global technology giant serving critical infrastructure for telecom companies like AT&T and T-Mobile. His role places him at the intersection of security innovation and practical implementation, uniquely qualifying him to discuss AI’s growing impact on cybersecurity strategies."We are in a technological race against our attackers," Maor emphasized during our conversation. "AI is significantly reshaping the landscape by not just creating advanced threats but also by providing revolutionary solutions."One key insight from Maor was the dual nature of AI—it is both an enabler of sophisticated cyber threats and a powerful tool for defense. At Amdocs, Maor described facing enormous cybersecurity challenges due to the vast scale of their operations: hundreds of thousands of servers globally, over tens of thousands of endpoints, and approximately 30,000 employees in 90 countries. With this scale, managing the risk is both complex and critical."We receive tens of millions of emails per month, and a significant portion of these are spam or phishing," Maor revealed. The sheer volume demonstrates why traditional cybersecurity methods are inadequate. To tackle such massive challenges, Maor’s team deploys multiple layers of protection and leverages AI-powered tools to analyze patterns and reduce response times dramatically.However, despite the advanced technological frameworks, Maor pointed out a pivotal vulnerability that technology alone can't solve—the human factor. "At the end of the day, cybersecurity incidents often start with a single employee," he noted. "Our mission is to foster a deep security culture among employees, making them part of our defense strategy."This cultural shift includes comprehensive awareness programs, highly sophisticated phishing simulations, and personalized training that empower employees to recognize and respond effectively to threats. Maor believes cybersecurity must transcend technical solutions, incorporating an organization's entire human element into a holistic security strategy.When we discussed emerging threats, Maor highlighted how generative AI tools like ChatGPT have introduced new risks, especially around data leakage. Employees frequently use these tools, unintentionally exposing sensitive corporate information. Amdocs responded proactively by establishing an AI governance committee, implementing sophisticated monitoring tools, and introducing educational initiatives about responsible AI use. Maor explained, "We give employees freedom but maintain control through intelligent, automated oversight."I found Maor's approach insightful and reflective of an essential evolution in cybersecurity thinking: the integration of technological innovation with strategic human-centric policies. As organizations continue to navigate this complex environment, understanding and proactively managing both AI-driven threats and human vulnerabilities will define future cybersecurity successes.Reflecting on my conversation with Maor, it's clear that successful cybersecurity strategies must prioritize adaptability and human engagement. Companies that empower their teams through awareness, training, and AI-driven support will build resilient defenses capable of handling tomorrow's threats.The path forward requires a thoughtful blend of AI technology and a deep investment in human-centric cybersecurity cultures. This balanced approach, championed by security leaders like Maor, is not just beneficial—it is imperative.

Cybersecurity is once again at a critical crossroads—this time, driven by the explosive growth of AI technologies. During a recent visit to Descope’s Palo Alto office, I sat down with CEO Slavik Markovich, a veteran in the cybersecurity space whose past ventures, Demisto (acquired by Palo Alto Networks) and Sentrigo (acquired by McAfee), shaped much of the modern security landscape. Our conversation centered around how AI is radically reshaping digital identity.

Slavik and his team—collaborators for nearly three decades—launched Descope with a bold mission: eliminate passwords altogether. “Passwords are the worst of both worlds,” he noted, “hard for humans to remember and easy for computers to crack.” As AI supercharges phishing and other attack vectors, traditional passwords only grow more inadequate.

Instead, Slavik advocates for passkeys—phishing-resistant, cryptographic keys stored locally and authenticated via biometrics, without ever exposing the biometric data. It's a fundamentally more secure and seamless approach to authentication.

Descope’s innovation doesn’t stop there. As AI evolves into “agentic” form—digital agents acting on behalf of users—the company is tackling a new security frontier. These agents don’t fit neatly into existing models of user authentication or machine-to-machine trust. “The industry is shifting toward agentic AI,” Slavik explained, “and that’s expanding the scale and complexity of identity management.”

One surprisingly common challenge they’re solving is the "confused agent problem," where digital agents unintentionally act with higher privileges than intended. Descope positions itself as the intermediary—managing progressive authorization, mediating between users, agents, and applications, and ensuring secure, compliant interactions.

For CISOs and enterprise leaders, this shift presents both urgency and opportunity. AI is no longer an emerging edge case—it’s embedded in tools and workflows across organizations. Security teams must act swiftly to secure agent-driven interactions and identity touchpoints or risk falling behind.

At Clarity, where I focus on AI-powered threats like deepfakes and next-gen phishing, I see firsthand how vital identity management has become. It’s no longer just a login issue—it’s the first and most critical line of defense. Security solutions must be both robust and frictionless, balancing user experience with airtight protection.

Slavik also shared a personal insight that stood out to me: “We prioritize having fun. We’ve built multiple companies together because we genuinely enjoy the journey.” That mindset resonates. The best cybersecurity innovations come from passionate teams that love solving hard problems, not just building defenses.

The identity revolution is already underway. Organizations that embrace passwordless, agent-aware authentication now will dramatically improve both their security and user experience. Those that delay will face rising vulnerabilities and growing user frustration.

Our industry isn’t just evolving—it’s undergoing a full-scale transformation. Proactively embracing agentic AI, passkeys, and adaptive identity strategies is not just smart—it’s essential. Those who lead will define the future of digital trust. Those who don’t may find themselves struggling to catch up in a threat landscape redefined by AI.

The cybersecurity landscape is rapidly evolving, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and the growing complexity of enterprise data environments. In a recent conversation with Dan Benjamin, VP at Palo Alto Networks and co-founder of Dig Security, it became clear that securing data and AI requires moving beyond traditional perimeter-based strategies toward more dynamic, proactive approaches.

Dan brings deep entrepreneurial experience. After founding multiple cybersecurity startups, his latest—Dig Security—was acquired by Palo Alto Networks within just two years, signaling rapid adoption and market validation. His background at Microsoft and current leadership role give him a sharp lens on the intersection of AI and data security.

One key takeaway from our conversation: speed is critical. “The ability to scale quickly and see immediately if something works or doesn't is critical,” Dan said. This mindset powered Dig’s growth to nearly 80 employees in two years, fueled by focus and strategic clarity.

A major theme was the rise of Data Security Posture Management (DSPM). As Dan shared, when Dig launched, “more than 50% of enterprise data had already moved to the cloud,” rendering legacy security tools ineffective. DSPM answers urgent questions like: What data do we have? Who can access it? Is it protected? As companies adopt multi-cloud infrastructures, DSPM becomes essential.

This transformation has also been accelerated by market awareness—fueled by VC investments and competing startups. “Data security wasn’t even a top-ten concern for CISOs initially. Within a year, it was top three,” Dan noted. It’s a reminder of how fast industry priorities can shift.

And now, AI is redefining those priorities again. Dan emphasized how AI introduces both opportunity and risk. Boards are pushing for rapid AI integration, while CISOs scramble to secure it. “AI security must begin with visibility—knowing what models you’re running, what data was used, and ensuring proper compliance and access controls.”

At Palo Alto Networks, around half of all data security discussions now center on AI, reflecting its growing urgency. AI isn’t just creating new threats—it’s forcing a rethink of cybersecurity strategies.

But AI isn’t just a risk—it’s also part of the solution. Dan predicts that in the next five years, AI will autonomously handle many cybersecurity decisions. Already, AI tools are handling initial threat triage in SOCs, easing analyst workloads and improving response times.

This aligns with what we’re seeing at Clarity, where AI-driven tools are helping counter advanced threats, from deepfakes to social engineering attacks. The shift from reactive alerts to proactive AI-powered defense is already underway.

My biggest takeaway: enterprises must integrate DSPM and AI security now—not later. The threat landscape is evolving weekly. Those who delay will fall behind, while those who adapt quickly will build unmatched resilience.

As Dan put it, “Entrepreneurs have limited patience—we must see rapid progress.” That sense of urgency is exactly what today’s cybersecurity leaders need to stay ahead in an AI-powered world.

Haunted by the rise of online antisemitism, Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor left a high-powered legal career to launch CyberWell—a nonprofit using AI to hold social media platforms accountable to their own policies. In this conversation, she shares how antisemitic hate moved from fringe forums to mainstream feeds, the troubling aftermath of October 7, and why current systems are failing to respond. Her work exposes the gaps in content moderation and reveals how high-integrity data and generative AI can reshape digital accountability—offering a hopeful, scalable path forward in one of tech’s most urgent ethical battles.#20minuteleaders #OnlineAntisemitism #AIForGood #ContentModeration

Shalev Ifrah’s path is one of curiosity, creativity, and continuous growth. From launching his first ventures to building Israel’s leading digital marketing college, he shares how real-world learning, persistence, and strategic risk-taking shaped his entrepreneurial vision. His journey highlights the power of aligned partnerships, rapid adaptation, and turning insights into innovation.#20minuteleaders #EntrepreneurshipJourney #RevenueGrowthStrategies #DigitalMarketingLeadership

At nine, Roey Eliyahu was already coding. By 11, he was freelancing. His path from an IDF cybersecurity unit to founding Salt Security reflects a deep understanding of how microservices and GenAI transformed APIs from simple gateways to complex security risks. He shares why discovery, governance, and protection are now essential pillars for any enterprise navigating rapid innovation—and how early insights shaped a category-defining solution.#20MinuteLeaders #APISecurity #CybersecurityLeadership #EnterpriseTech

By Michael Matias, CEO of Clarity and Forbes 30 Under 30 alum

Cybersecurity is at a turning point, driven by AI’s rapid rise. In a recent conversation with Matan Derman, CEO of Apex, we explored why integrating AI into organizations is inevitable—and why traditional security strategies must evolve to meet AI-specific threats.

Derman, with a background in elite Israeli cyber units and Stanford Business School, alongside co-founder Tomer Even, quickly recognized how accessible AI tools like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot were revolutionizing productivity while exposing new vulnerabilities. “Organizations were banning AI tools out of fear—legal, compliance, privacy, and data leakage concerns were overwhelming,” Derman shared.

At Clarity, I’ve seen firsthand how AI-generated cyberattacks are escalating. Team8 reports AI-driven phishing attacks have surged over 2,000% recently. Static, reactive security models are no match for these dynamic threats.

Apex’s solution? Use AI to secure AI. "We evolved from being a security company focused on AI to becoming a security company for AI, leveraging AI extensively," Derman explained. Traditional defenses can’t handle novel attack methods like prompt injection and jailbreak attacks, which trick AI models into revealing sensitive data—even through creative methods like Morse code.

Organizations now face a clear choice: adopt proactive, AI-powered security or risk falling behind. As AI lowers the barrier for attackers, real-time, AI-driven defenses have become essential.

Derman stressed that for AI’s true potential to be realized, it must be widely adopted across entire workforces—not just by tech experts. Yet, broader use also expands the risk landscape. Companies must urgently adopt AI-native security platforms to harness AI’s benefits safely.

The cybersecurity industry is at a crossroads. AI-driven solutions are no longer optional—they’re today’s standard. As Derman put it: “Our goal was identifying critical problems unique to AI use and creating foundational security layers for future AI adoption.”

The time to act is now. The future won’t wait.

By Michael Matias, CEO of Clarity and Forbes 30 Under 30 alum

Cybersecurity is at a turning point, driven by artificial intelligence (AI). My conversation with Jonathan Roizin, CEO of Flow Security—now part of CrowdStrike—reinforced the urgent need for organizations to rethink data protection strategies in an era of dynamic, fluid information exchange.

The Shifting Nature of Data Security
Roizin, a veteran of elite Israeli cybersecurity organizations, has spent over 15 years tackling cyber threats. His focus on "data in motion" highlights a critical reality: data no longer sits in static environments. It moves continuously across cloud services, SaaS platforms, and APIs, fundamentally altering security needs.

The stakes are enormous. IBM’s 2023 Cost of a Data Breach report revealed that the average breach now costs $4.45 million. Meanwhile, organizations use over 130 SaaS applications, a number increasing nearly 18% annually. Yet, many still rely on outdated security models that assume clear perimeters around data.

The Decline of Traditional Defenses
Roizin emphasized the need to move beyond legacy Data Leakage Prevention (DLP) strategies, which were designed for endpoint security and internal networks. “The boundaries have been broken,” he explained. As organizations migrate to cloud environments like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, perimeter-based security models are becoming ineffective. Gartner predicts that by 2025, 85% of businesses will operate primarily in the cloud.

AI as a Threat and a Defense Mechanism
The rise of AI compounds security challenges. AI-powered tools—such as coding assistants and automated meeting note-takers—introduce new vulnerabilities. Employees often share sensitive information through unmonitored AI platforms, inadvertently exposing critical data. A Team8 report found AI-driven phishing attacks have surged by more than 2,000%, with nearly half using GPT-generated communications.

Yet, AI also strengthens cybersecurity. Flow Security leverages AI-driven automation to classify and monitor sensitive data in real time, providing dynamic protection that traditional security models cannot achieve.

The Urgent Need for Proactive AI Integration
The future of cybersecurity demands a philosophical shift—security cannot rely on passive visibility. Instead, AI-driven real-time interventions must become the norm. Roizin and I share a conviction: cybersecurity teams should not simply identify risks but actively prevent breaches before they occur.

My work at Clarity reinforces this belief. AI-driven techniques can protect organizations far more effectively than reactive security models. Intelligent automation minimizes false positives, allowing security teams to focus on genuine threats rather than being overwhelmed by noise.

Looking Ahead
This conversation reaffirmed my thesis: cybersecurity must evolve alongside rapidly shifting technological landscapes. Static security frameworks no longer suffice. Organizations must integrate AI-driven defense mechanisms that adapt to the continuous movement of data—or risk falling behind.

Those who embrace this paradigm will unlock unprecedented security resilience. Those who delay may find themselves vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping cybersecurity—not just for digital threats but also for critical physical infrastructure like railways. My conversation with Miki Shifman, Co-Founder and CTO of Cylus, underscored the urgent need to extend cybersecurity beyond traditional digital domains to protect transportation systems.

Railway Cybersecurity: A Growing Concern
Shifman, a cybersecurity expert and Israeli intelligence veteran, co-founded Cylus in 2017 to address vulnerabilities in railway systems. Historically, rail safety focused on mechanical redundancy and human oversight. But modern trains—autonomous, high-speed, and digitally connected—face unprecedented cyber risks. As Shifman put it, “The boundaries have been broken.”

Recent incidents highlight the severity. London’s railway shutdown last September exposed the economic and societal disruptions cyberattacks can cause. A similar event in New York’s subway system would ripple far beyond transportation, affecting healthcare and public safety.

Emerging Threats and AI’s Role
Railway cyber threats fall into two categories: availability threats that halt train operations and safety threats that could lead to collisions or derailments. Many railway systems lack adequate encryption and authentication, making vulnerabilities deeply embedded. AI accelerates these risks—lowering the expertise needed to execute sophisticated attacks. Tools like ChatGPT enable less-experienced hackers to gain insights into specialized rail protocols, expanding the pool of potential attackers.

Regulatory Response and AI-Powered Defense
With railways classified as critical infrastructure, regulatory bodies in the EU and U.S. are mandating stronger cybersecurity measures by 2025. However, these solutions must integrate carefully to avoid interfering with operational safety.

AI also strengthens defenses. Cylus uses AI to enhance threat detection, real-time monitoring, and anomaly detection while reducing false positives. AI boosts productivity across railway cybersecurity, from rapid prototyping to regulatory compliance automation. “AI helps turn compliance from a burden into an asset,” Shifman noted.

The Future of Railway Cybersecurity
Rail cybersecurity lags behind other critical infrastructure sectors, but AI provides an opportunity to leap forward. Organizations embracing AI-driven security will gain unprecedented protection—while those slow to adapt remain vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated threats.

When asked about AI’s future in rail security, Shifman admitted, “We’re still evolving our understanding. But ignoring AI simply isn’t an option. This technology changes the landscape weekly.” That mindset—alert, adaptable, and proactive—is exactly what the railway industry needs today.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a mere enhancement in cybersecurity—it’s essential. My conversation with Dr. Dorit Dor, Chief Technology Officer at Check Point Software Technologies, reinforced AI’s transformative role in defending against cyber threats. As a pioneer in Israel’s cybersecurity sector, Dorit has been shaping security strategies for nearly three decades.

AI’s Expanding Role in Cybersecurity
From Check Point’s early days to its global prominence, Dorit has emphasized the need to shift from reactive threat detection to proactive prevention. “AI empowers attackers to scale their operations dramatically,” she explained. Today, targeted cyberattacks occur at mass scale, making real-time defense a necessity.

The Challenge of AI-Driven Threats
Organizations now face AI-generated threats daily, including deepfakes and hyper-targeted phishing campaigns. Dorit stressed the urgency of stopping attacks as they happen, not just detecting them afterward. The conversation highlighted a growing vulnerability: supply chain security. Cybercriminals increasingly exploit weak links within supply chains, underscoring the importance of securing every aspect of an organization’s ecosystem. “Supply chain attacks have significantly increased,” she warned, calling for rigorous internal security among providers.

AI and the Future of Cybersecurity Operations
Beyond threat prevention, AI is reshaping cybersecurity roles. “The human factor will increasingly shift from direct intervention to supervising AI agents executing defensive tasks,” Dorit noted. Traditional manual security processes are giving way to AI-driven systems, requiring cybersecurity teams to act as strategic managers rather than hands-on defenders.

The Urgency to Adapt
Cybersecurity must evolve at the pace of emerging threats. AI-driven attackers pose a growing risk, and organizations failing to integrate AI into their security frameworks will struggle to keep up. Dorit’s perspective aligns with my own experiences at Clarity, where AI-driven cybersecurity is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. As she put it, “Organizations today need solutions that can respond automatically and intelligently. We must empower our defenses to act decisively when under attack.”

Looking Ahead
AI stands at a crossroads: both a threat multiplier and a defensive enabler. Organizations must act swiftly to integrate AI into their cybersecurity strategies, ensuring they stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated threats. Dorit’s insights serve as both a warning and a roadmap—those that embrace AI will not just survive but thrive in the evolving digital landscape.

Cybersecurity is at a turning point, largely driven by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). My recent conversation with Barak Schoster—a renowned cybersecurity expert and entrepreneur—highlighted AI’s profound impact on the field. Schoster, who founded Bridgecrew (now part of Palo Alto Networks), has extensive experience in advanced threat protection and innovative security solutions.

AI’s Role in Cybersecurity
Schoster put it simply: “The boundaries have been broken.” Traditional security methods, such as endpoint protection and perimeter-based defenses, are no longer enough in an era dominated by cloud computing and fast-moving data. By 2025, Gartner predicts that 85% of enterprises will primarily operate in cloud environments, demanding proactive and adaptive security models.

Emerging Challenges
Organizations are increasingly using cloud platforms and SaaS applications, introducing new risks. AI-driven productivity tools, while boosting efficiency, also heighten vulnerabilities—through unintended data leaks and unsecured exchanges. Employees frequently use tools outside corporate oversight, raising serious security concerns. Schoster noted that open-source adoption accelerates software distribution but requires strategic monetization. “We moved from single-player mode, where developers benefited individually, to multiplayer mode, which brought real enterprise value,” he explained.

AI’s Double-Edged Impact
AI both expands the attack surface and enhances defense capabilities. Schoster pointed out that deepfakes and automated phishing campaigns have significantly lowered the cost and complexity for cybercriminals. However, AI-powered security tools can automate complex tasks, improving efficiency and resilience.

The urgency is clear: AI-driven phishing attacks have increased by over 2,000% in the past year alone, according to Team8. This escalation highlights the need for real-time security interventions. Bridgecrew leveraged AI for instant monitoring and security enforcement, shifting cybersecurity from reactive threat detection to proactive prevention.

The Future of Cybersecurity
This transformation reflects a larger industry shift. AI can dramatically reduce vulnerabilities, minimize false positives, and enhance productivity by automating critical security tasks—allowing experts to focus on strategic objectives. Schoster predicts that static defenses and perimeter-based models will soon be obsolete. “Execution, speed, and adaptability have become more important than traditional moats like IP or patents,” he asserted.

Organizations must embrace AI-powered security strategies or risk being replaced by more agile competitors. As Schoster warned, “Those that fail to adapt quickly enough will inevitably be replaced by innovative, AI-driven newcomers.” The future of cybersecurity depends on agility, automation, and a forward-thinking approach.

Cybersecurity today is more dynamic and critical than ever, thanks to the transformative influence of AI. Liran Grinberg, Co-founder of Team8, highlighted this evolution in a recent discussion. Drawing on his experience from Israel's elite Unit 8200 and managing over $1 billion in ventures, he shed light on how AI is reshaping cybersecurity. He emphasized that AI isn't just enhancing existing technologies but enabling previously impossible capabilities, which also broadens the attack surface—creating both new vulnerabilities and opportunities for innovation.Grinberg's perspective resonated with my own observations at Clarity, where AI has expanded the threat landscape while revolutionizing defense capabilities. Traditional reactive models are becoming outdated. Analysts are now evolving into supervisors of AI-driven agents managing operational tasks, which showcases how AI integration can bolster cybersecurity effectiveness. This shift is essential, particularly given the increasing complexity and sophistication of threats, such as AI-driven phishing and deepfakes.Speed and momentum are critical in the competitive world of cybersecurity. Grinberg pointed out the necessity for rapid, responsible decision-making to secure market leadership. This aligns with Clarity's approach, where staying ahead of threats is not optional but a mandate for survival. He also emphasized the enduring need for domain expertise, particularly when integrating complex AI solutions into cybersecurity strategies. Without such expertise, even the most advanced tools risk being ineffective.Grinberg's outlook underscores the need for proactive, predictive, and preventive strategies in cybersecurity. At Team8, their AI Excellence Center exemplifies this by focusing on deep, strategic AI integration rather than surface-level adoption. The accelerated adoption of AI presents unmatched opportunities but also escalates risks for those lagging behind.The message is clear: embracing AI-driven cybersecurity is no longer optional. Organizations must prioritize strategic AI integration to ensure resilience and efficiency in an increasingly complex threat environment. As Grinberg said, the future of cybersecurity is dynamic, proactive, and deeply intelligent. Those who delay risk falling dangerously behind.

After years in finance and a move from New York back to a kibbutz, Sagi Shentag led Tango from startup to $300M revenue before taking the helm at VOY. Now, he’s transforming global connectivity by making travel data seamless, affordable, and stress-free—turning a complex necessity into a simple, empowering experience.

#20MinuteLeaders #GlobalConnectivity #TravelTechInnovation #EntrepreneurialJourney

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The arrival of Generative AI marks perhaps the fastest and most dramatic technological change we've ever experienced, reshaping cybersecurity at a pace most organizations are unprepared for. A recent conversation with Elad Schulman, CEO and Co-Founder of Lasso, reinforced my understanding that organizations must rapidly adapt to this new reality, where threats evolve continuously and at an unprecedented rate.Schulman, a seasoned entrepreneur who founded and sold the cybersecurity company Segasec to Mimecast, emphasized that upon entering the Generative AI world about two years ago, it felt like stepping into a "new Wild West." "You need a new sheriff to catch the bad guys," he noted. This metaphor aptly captures the significant challenge organizations face today as traditional security models, built on static defenses and rigid tools, can no longer handle the dynamic, AI-driven threats.What's particularly striking about this transformation is the aggressive adoption of AI tools by employees themselves, without waiting for formal approvals or clear organizational policies. As Schulman explained, "Employees didn't wait for policy or enforcement; they simply started using these tools because they are extraordinarily effective." Such rapid, unsupervised adoption poses significant security challenges, from sensitive data leaks to exposure to new risks previously nonexistent.Lasso’s approach, under Schulman's leadership, focuses on providing organizations with comprehensive visibility into employees' use of AI tools. Instead of attempting to block the technology, their strategy enables safe and efficient AI adoption. "Security shouldn't prevent usage but enable it," Schulman emphasized. "We must help employees elegantly recover from mistakes rather than just block them."This approach represents a substantial shift from traditional security methods, which typically create user friction, harm productivity, and ultimately lead employees to circumvent policies. Organizations restricting AI usage risk undermining their competitive edge. Conversely, adopting this technology without adequate security exposes them to significant new vulnerabilities.Beyond security challenges, AI also opens new defensive opportunities. At Lasso, AI is employed to provide organizations immediate and active visibility into internal data flows, quickly identify threats, and neutralize them. "We are not just creating another security tool but an entire platform enabling organizations to adopt AI safely," Schulman said.From my perspective, we stand at a critical juncture. AI adoption is no longer optional—it’s already here, fundamentally changing the nature of work and security. Organizations strategically integrating AI within their security frameworks will secure a considerable competitive advantage. Those hesitant to do so will find themselves increasingly vulnerable to attacks leveraging precisely these technologies.As Schulman candidly summarized, "We are still learning as we go. Ignoring these changes simply isn't an option. The technology evolves nearly every week." In my view, this agile, adaptive, and proactive approach is precisely what cybersecurity leaders must adopt immediately.About Michael MatiasMichael Matias is the CEO and Co-Founder of Clarity, an AI-powered cybersecurity startup backed by venture capital firms including Bessemer Venture Partners and Walden Catalyst. Clarity develops advanced AI technologies protecting organizations from sophisticated phishing attacks and AI-generated social engineering threats, including deepfakes. Before founding Clarity, Matias studied Computer Science with a specialization in AI at Stanford University and led cybersecurity teams in Unit 8200 of the Israel Defense Forces. Forbes Israel recognized him early on, naming him to the exclusive 18Under18 list in 2013 and the Forbes 30Under30 list thereafter. Matias authored the book Age is Only an Int and hosts the podcast 20MinuteLeaders.

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By Michael Matias, CEO of Clarity and Forbes 30 Under 30 alum

Cybersecurity is at a pivotal crossroads, transformed by AI and the realities of hybrid work. In my recent conversation with Ofer Ben-Noon—founder of Talon Cyber Security and former CEO of Argus Cyber Security—it became clear that traditional cybersecurity strategies must evolve, especially as the browser becomes the primary gateway to enterprise data.

With a background in Israel’s elite Unit 8200 and as a pioneer in automotive cybersecurity, Ben-Noon now leads Talon in redefining how organizations secure today’s decentralized workforce. His focus? The secure browser.

“Control the browser, and you control the data,” he said. That simple yet powerful insight underpins a massive shift in cybersecurity thinking. As workers increasingly access corporate systems from personal or unmanaged devices, legacy defenses like firewalls and VPNs fall short. Ben-Noon, now also CTO of SASE at Palo Alto Networks, pointed out that 90% of enterprises allow access from unmanaged devices—and 85% of ransomware attacks stem from them.

This challenge is compounded by SaaS sprawl. While companies officially use about 1,500 apps, they often have up to 8,500 unsanctioned ones operating in the shadows. This explosion of shadow IT, paired with the rise of AI, introduces massive vulnerabilities. Every day, Palo Alto Networks sees 7.7 million new malicious URLs and countless AI-generated malware strains. “AI dramatically accelerates both the complexity and volume of threats,” Ben-Noon warned.

Yet, AI is also a powerful ally. Talon’s secure browser integrates AI-driven security directly into everyday workflows—no more clunky, bolt-on tools. This innovation transforms the browser from a weak point into a flexible, secure productivity hub. “The browser itself becomes the center of secure productivity—empowering users rather than limiting them,” he explained.

I couldn’t agree more. Today’s workforce values autonomy and speed. A secure browser gives teams both, while protecting critical data in real time. Ben-Noon emphasizes proactive AI-driven defenses over reactionary ones: detecting breaches after the fact isn’t enough anymore—prevention is key.

In closing, Ben-Noon shared, “We’ve made significant bets on three trends: distributed workforces, web-based applications, and the Chromium browser as the dominant digital workspace.” These trends, rapidly accelerated by AI, demand a fresh cybersecurity mindset.

The organizations that embrace this shift—integrating AI and secure browsers into their DNA—will be the ones best equipped to thrive in an increasingly complex digital world.

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