AI & the Fifth Domain of Warfare: A Talk with Eyal Balicer, Cybersecurity Innovator & Thought Leader

AI & the Fifth Domain of Warfare: A Talk with Eyal Balicer, Cybersecurity Innovator & Thought Leader

By Michael Matias, CEO of Clarity and Forbes 30 Under 30 alumCybersecurity has entered a new domain—literally. As Eyal Balicer put it in our recent conversation: “Cyberspace is now the fifth domain of warfare.” But in this domain, the battleground isn’t just code. It’s control.Eyal brings a rare vantage point to the AI-cyber nexus—he’s held senior cybersecurity roles in the Israeli government, Fortune 100 companies like Citi, and top-tier venture capital. Our discussion centered on a growing truth: with the rise of agentic systems—AI entities that can act, decide, and evolve—the mission of cybersecurity is changing.“We are shifting from a world where intelligence was a scarce resource to one where that is not necessarily the case; true agency is becoming the new elusive driver of prosperity and growth,” Eyal explained. “The systems we are now securing are not just automated—they are autonomous, highly competent, and opaque. Traditional defenses cannot keep up.”It’s a shift I’ve seen firsthand at Clarity, where we build proactive defenses against deepfakes and AI-generated phishing. Just like Shahar Peled told me about agentic AI revolutionizing offensive testing, Eyal sees these agents redefining global threat models. The challenge isn’t identifying known threats—it’s safeguarding systems that learn, adapt, and act independently.And that requires a new security architecture.“An AI agent can have fluid permissions, context-based roles, and evolving identity,” he told me. “Conventional IAM just does not cut it anymore.” In that sense, Balicer echoes voices like Ron Nissim and Alon Jackson, who both called for a redefinition of identity management in the AI age.But Eyal's view goes broader: geopolitical. He sees cybersecurity not just as a business enabler, but as a pillar of national resilience. From financial systems to defense infrastructure, the stakes have never been higher. “The future will require autonomous cybersecurity—not just automated, pre-defined playbooks, but real-time, adaptive agents who reason and defend at the edge, with varying degrees of human intervention.”We discussed how the regulatory map only adds to the complexity. “The fragmentation across jurisdictions makes cross-border cybersecurity brittle,” Eyal warned. His point was clear: the only viable strategy is proactive, agentic, adaptable security. Not static controls. Not red-alert dashboards.The recent acquisition of Wiz by Google, he said, is just the beginning. “This will eventually lead to an entrepreneurial Cambrian explosion in cybersecurity,” Eyal predicted. And much like Dorit Dor told me, the organizations that survive will be those that move fast—and let AI lead the charge.As we closed, his advice was blunt: “Ignoring this revolution is not an option. AI evolves daily. Your security safeguards and controls should not lag behind.”My takeaway? Eyal isn’t just talking about new tools—he’s laying out a new doctrine.Agentic AI isn’t coming. It’s here. And if we don’t secure it now, we risk losing control of the systems that already make decisions for us.The future of cyber isn’t just proactive. It’s autonomous. And it’s already reshaping the balance of power.

Episoder(1167)

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Ep82: Yael Shemer | Co-Founder and CMO of TULU

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Ep76: Steven R. Gerbsman | Managing Principal at Gerbsman Partners

Ep76: Steven R. Gerbsman | Managing Principal at Gerbsman Partners

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Ep80: Mor Chen | Managing Director at 8200 For Startups by EISP

Ep80: Mor Chen | Managing Director at 8200 For Startups by EISP

Mor is the Managing Director of 8200 For Startups by EISP, one of the leading startups accelerator in Israel. She founded the 8200 Alumni Association first female entrepreneurship program and the first startup accelerator for reserve duty soldiers. She is a tech and strategy enthusiastic, previously working as a software engineer at VMware and as a strategy consultant at Strategy& (previously Booz& Company). Mor is passionate about bringing more women into STEM and developing the next generation of women leaders.

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Ep78: Elia Gourgouris | Founder and President of the Happiness Center

Ep78: Elia Gourgouris | Founder and President of the Happiness Center

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Ep79: David Tabachnikov | CEO of ScholarshipOwl

Ep79: David Tabachnikov | CEO of ScholarshipOwl

David is the CEO of ScholarshipOwl, where he is fighting student debt by redefining the way American students pay for their education. He and his team have recently launched the Future Minds Fund, that allows direct financial support for students through crowdfunded scholarships. Previously, David was a part of Google and Waze, and he is an expert on distributed teams, and remote-by default companies. He is a dedicated professional and a tech savvy entrepreneur, bringing humanity and technology closer.

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Ep77: Nicole Priel | Vice President at Ibex Investors

Ep77: Nicole Priel | Vice President at Ibex Investors

Nicole is an early stage investor with Ibex Investors where she focuses on Israeli tech startups. She serves as a mentor in several accelerators and is an active member of the startup ecosystem in Israel. In her spare time she enjoys connecting job seekers with jobs, leading the Brandeis Alumni Club of Israel, reading, and playing tennis. She lives in Raanana with her husband and their 3 children.

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Ep75: Keren Herskovici | Co-Founder and Managing Director, Woman2Woman

Ep75: Keren Herskovici | Co-Founder and Managing Director, Woman2Woman

Keren is Co-Founder and Managing Director of 8200 Woman2Woman. She works as a Finance Manager at a cybersecurity company founded by 8200 alumni. Previously Herscovici worked as the Israeli Accounting Manager at Check Point Software Technologies and as a valuation and strategy consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, leading projects for some of the largest companies in Israel. Herscovici also served in various roles for Unit 8200 of the Israeli Intelligence Corps and is currently a board member of the 8200 Alumni Association

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Ep72: Daniel Tal Mor | Co-founder and CEO at Lumen

Ep72: Daniel Tal Mor | Co-founder and CEO at Lumen

Daniel is the co-founder and CEO of Lumen, a company developing consumer nutrition management platform based on a small device that measures metabolism in a single breath and provides personalized food, lifestyle, and health recommendations. Lumen sold 10,000 devices on Indiegogo during the pre-campaign. Previously, Daniel co-founded Wibiya, acquired by Conduit, and later held VP roles at Conduit.

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