The New Security Playbook for AI Adoption: A Conversation with Dan Benjamin

The New Security Playbook for AI Adoption: A Conversation with Dan Benjamin

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.

Avsnitt(1157)

Ep169: Alon Halevy | Director at Facebook AI

Ep169: Alon Halevy | Director at Facebook AI

Alon is a director at Facebook AI and previously held positions at Google, CEO of Megagon Labs, and professor of computer science at the University of Washington. He is the founder of two companies, Nimble Technology and Transformic Inc., the latter of which was acquired by Google in 2005. He is the author of the book "The Infinite Emotions of Coffee" and co-author of "Principles of Data Integration". Alon is an ACM Fellow, and received the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) Award.

31 Dec 202022min

Ep167: Ilan Frank | Vice President, Enterprise Product at Slack

Ep167: Ilan Frank | Vice President, Enterprise Product at Slack

Ilan is the Vice President of Enterprise Product at Slack. In this role, Ilan leads product strategy, direction and delivery for Slack for large and regulated companies. Ilan brings over 20 years of experience in building collaboration solutions for the enterprise where there are specific requirements within administration, security, compliance and scale. Prior to Slack Ilan was an early leader in the cloud transformation at SAP launching both social collaboration and cloud analytics solutions.

31 Dec 202022min

Ep184: Anita Koumriqian | Partner and Attorney at Alcorn Immigration Law

Ep184: Anita Koumriqian | Partner and Attorney at Alcorn Immigration Law

Anita is a partner and attorney at Alcorn Immigration Law. She loves using the power of the law to help people erase borders so they can achieve their full potential, assisting both families as well as employers bring individuals to the US to pursue visas, green cards, or citizenship. As an immigrant to the United States, she identifies with her clients and is passionate about helping families stay together and reunite in the U.S.

31 Dec 202023min

Ep175: Guy Miasnik | Serial Entrepreneur, Investor, Mentor, the Former Founder/CEO of AtHoc and the CSO of BlackBerry

Ep175: Guy Miasnik | Serial Entrepreneur, Investor, Mentor, the Former Founder/CEO of AtHoc and the CSO of BlackBerry

Guy is a tech entrepreneur, investor and mentor focused on great teams and high impact opportunities. He was co-founder and CEO of AtHoc, which was acquired by Blackberry for $300M after gaining 70% of the U.S. Federal Market share. Post-acquisition, Guy was Division President and Chief Strategy Officer of BlackBerry, reporting to CEO John Chen. Guy holds an MBA from Harvard and has nine patents in crisis communication.

31 Dec 202022min

Ep161: Lou Adler | Hiring Expert

Ep161: Lou Adler | Hiring Expert

Lou is the CEO and founder of The Adler Group – a consulting and training firm helping companies implement "Win-Win Hiring" programs using his Performance-based Hiring℠ system for finding and hiring exceptional talent. More than 40 thousand recruiters and hiring managers have attended his ground-breaking workshops over the past 20 years. He is the author of the Amazon top-10 best-seller, Hire With Your Head and The Essential Guide for Hiring & Getting Hired (Workbench Media, 2013).

31 Dec 202022min

Ep160: Sandra Clark | CEO and Founder of LinkedIn Mentoring

Ep160: Sandra Clark | CEO and Founder of LinkedIn Mentoring

Sandra is a trainer and coach specializing in providing LinkedIn consulting and training. Through her company, “LinkedIn Mentoring”, Sandra offers coaching services for individuals, teams, and companies to help busy professionals build their online brand and showcase their expertise by creating great profiles on LinkedIn®.  She understands the finer points of LinkedIn technology, is able to demystify and break down its concepts into consumable pieces, and to teach steps that can be implemented immediately so hey clients get noticed and get results.

31 Dec 202021min

Ep172: Erika Gerdes | Authenticity Advocate, Speaker Former Google Business Executive

Ep172: Erika Gerdes | Authenticity Advocate, Speaker Former Google Business Executive

Erika is an authenticity advocate speaker, writer and coach. She is the designer of The Art of Undoing, which helps people undo their limiting beliefs to unlock greater confidence, joy and impact. She is a former global business executive at Google, where she worked for 12 years before leaving at the height of her career, as a single mom, to pursue her mission for helping people live into their full range and amplify their impact.

31 Dec 202022min

Ep180: Ofer Wellisch | Chief of Pain Medicine of Stamford Health

Ep180: Ofer Wellisch | Chief of Pain Medicine of Stamford Health

Dr. Wellisch is a researcher, educator/mentor, and practicing clinician. He currently serves as Chief of Pain Medicine at Stamford Health and Assistant Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. He completed his clinical training in Pain Medicine at Stanford University, where he subsequently served as Clinical Instructor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine. He is regarded as a key opinion leader in his field and has served in various advisory and collaborative roles with leading pharmaceutical, medical device, and MedTech companies.

31 Dec 202024min

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

framgangspodden
badfluence
varvet
uppgang-och-fall
svd-ledarredaktionen
rss-borsens-finest
avanzapodden
borsmorgon
affarsvarlden
rss-kort-lang-analyspodden-fran-di
rss-dagen-med-di
dynastin
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
fill-or-kill
rikatillsammans-om-privatekonomi-rikedom-i-livet
tabberaset
lastbilspodden
market-makers
ett-rikare-liv
rss-inga-dumma-fragor-om-pengar