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(1165)

Ep779: Tal Wilk-Glazer | CEO, Saffron Tech

Ep779: Tal Wilk-Glazer | CEO, Saffron Tech

Tal has over 20 years of experience in leading international technology and communications companies. Tal Served as Salesforce Industries Regional Director of Eastern Europe, Africa, and Israel, and accompanied large companies in the process of digital transformation. Prior to Salesforce she served in executive positions in Vlocity and is one of the founders of Vibo. Tal holds a bachelor’s degree in medical sciences from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a master’s degree in business administration from the Technion Institute of Technology.

5 Apr 202220min

Ep778: Vivian James Rigney | President, Inside Us LLC

Ep778: Vivian James Rigney | President, Inside Us LLC

Vivian James Rigney is President and CEO of Inside Us LLC, a global executive coaching consultancy operating throughout five continents, where he has helped implement leadership development initiatives for some of the world’s leading companies and their executive teams. He has also climbed the Seven Summits – the highest peak on all seven continents. On March 8th, his book ‘Naked At The Knife Edge’, was published – a book about his climbing of Everest and an epic story of fear, resilience and the power of vulnerability.

4 Apr 202221min

Ep777: Zohar Halachmi | Chairman, CEO & Co-founder, D-Fend Solutions

Ep777: Zohar Halachmi | Chairman, CEO & Co-founder, D-Fend Solutions

Zohar Halachmi is the Chairman and CEO at D-Fend Solutions. Before co-founding D-Fend Solutions, he was the founder and CEO of two mobile and enterprise application start-up companies. He also held VP and C-level positions at Amdocs and ECI Telecom (global and public telecommunication enterprises). While managing multi-disciplinary large- and small-scale organizations, Zohar created fast-growth and profitable businesses, bringing innovative solutions and services to the market. He graduated cum laude with a B.Sc. from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and M.Sc. from Tel Aviv University, and was a lecturer at both institutions.

3 Apr 202220min

Ep776: Latonya Wilkins | Founder, Change Coaches Author, Leading Below the Surface

Ep776: Latonya Wilkins | Founder, Change Coaches Author, Leading Below the Surface

Founder of Change Coaches and Author of Leading Below the Surface, LaTonya Wilkins partners with executives, upwardly-mobile professionals, and teams to build cultures of belonging through highly customized coaching and learning experiences. She is a sought-after keynote speaker and has inspired audiences around the world. She built her career working in HR, talent management and learning & development at Fortune 500 companies before teaching and taking on progressive leadership roles at the University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business. LaTonya’s book Leading Below the Surface: How to Build Real (and Psychologically Safe) Relationships with People Who Are Different from You was an Amazon bestselling new release in multiple categories. All of her work is based on below the surface leadership principles.

3 Apr 202216min

Ep775: Jonathan Wasserman, Co-founder & CTO at Compete and Amit Rapaport, Co-founder & CEO, Compete

Ep775: Jonathan Wasserman, Co-founder & CTO at Compete and Amit Rapaport, Co-founder & CEO, Compete

Participants:Jonathan Wasserman, Co-founder & CTO at Compete and Amit Rapaport, Co-founder & CEO, Compete

2 Apr 202223min

Ep774: Dr. Gal Aviv | Founder and CEO, Blender Financial Technologies

Ep774: Dr. Gal Aviv | Founder and CEO, Blender Financial Technologies

Dr. Gal Aviv is the Founder and CEO of Blender financial technologies. He holds a PhD in Physics from Nottingham University, UK and is a specialist in quantum optics. Gal has over a decade of experience as an entrepreneur and venture capitalist.

1 Apr 202220min

Ep773: Maxim Melamedov | CEO, Zesty

Ep773: Maxim Melamedov | CEO, Zesty

Maxim is a husband and father of two sons. He aims to surround himself with people who are passionate about shaping the future, love to learn about work and life, and see the joy of being part of a great team. Today he is the CEO of Zesty, and started it with a clear mission to help engineers automatically keep their cloud infrastructure up and running while staying within budget. On a personal note, Maxim definitely curses too much and waffle between believing that it’s a gross deficiency or a great trait for which his grandchildren will fondly remember him.

31 Mar 202220min

Ep772: Carolina Cruz-Letelier | Partner & Managing Director, MUH-TAY-ZIK / HOF-FER

Ep772: Carolina Cruz-Letelier | Partner & Managing Director, MUH-TAY-ZIK / HOF-FER

She’s been with the agency for nearly nine years, starting out in 2011 as an Account Manager, and now serving as Managing Director and Partner. Prior to joining M/H, Carolina had a two-year stint at Goodby Silverstein & Partners working on Chevrolet and Denny’s. Before her time at GS&P, she worked at Fuse TV in Ad Sales helping to create and build integrated programs for clients such as Burger King, Kia Motors, and Mars.Carolina is passionate about leading her teams and being an empathetic leader is ingrained in who she is, so I think she would be a great guest to speak to how marketing/agency teams should be treating each other and their relationships with clients and on her career and how she rose to become a partner at the agency.

30 Mar 202220min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

stopp-verden
dine-penger-pengeradet
e24-podden
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-borsmorgen-okonominyhetene
finansredaksjonen
pengepodden-2
utbytte
tid-er-penger-en-podcast-med-peter-warren
livet-pa-veien-med-jan-erik-larssen
morgenkaffen-med-finansavisen
rss-sunn-okonomi
pengesnakk
okonomiamatorene
rss-fa-makro
rss-rettssikkerhet-bak-fasaden-pa-rettsstaten-norge
lederpodden
aksjepodden
rss-andelige-tanker-med-camillo
rss-markedspuls-2