AI's Evolution in Security Operations: From Support to Collaboration

Doron Davidson, Managing Director of Security Operations at Cyberproof, joins John Richards to explore how AI is transforming security operations and pushing SOC maturity models into new territory. With extensive experience from telecom security to founding SecBI, Doron brings unique insights into the evolution of managed security services.

Rethinking Security Maturity Models

Doron outlines Cyberproof's innovative approach to service maturity, moving beyond traditional frameworks to incorporate AI capabilities. He describes how they've developed a 1-5 scale measuring people, processes, and technology—with quantifiable 20% year-over-year improvement targets.

Questions We Answer:

• How are security operations teams evolving with AI integration?
• What does SOC maturity look like in an AI-enabled world?
• How can organizations measure and verify AI's security impact?
• What role will agentic AI play in future security operations?

Key Takeaways:

• AI is enabling better collaboration between security services
• Automated investigation has significantly reduced L1 analyst workload
• Well-defined processes and KPIs are crucial for successful AI implementation
• New maturity levels (6-8) are emerging focused on agentic AI capabilities

The Future of Security Operations

The conversation explores how Cyberproof is moving beyond traditional AI integration toward agentic models where multiple AI agents collaborate across security functions. This shift enables enhanced threat intelligence sharing, automated investigations, and improved visualization of security metrics for stakeholders.

Practical Applications and Impact

From automating email attack investigations to improving cross-team collaboration, Doron shares concrete examples of how AI is reducing human error while expanding security capabilities. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining human oversight while leveraging AI's strengths.

Resources

• Learn more about Cyberproof
• Learn more about Paladin Cloud
• Got a question? Ask us here!

• (00:04) - Welcome to Cyber Sentries
• (00:33) - Today’s Guest: Doron Davidson
• (01:32) - Doron’s Background
• (03:27) - Latest Challenges
• (05:57) - Honesty Mindset
• (09:16) - Current AI Strategy
• (12:23) - Focus Areas
• (19:43) - Shifting Models
• (25:04) - What He’s Excited About
• (26:40) - Maturity Model
• (28:49) - Wrap Up

AI, Investment, and Security: A Venture Capitalist's Perspective

Sherman Williams, managing partner at AI and Ventures, joins John Richards to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence, cloud security, and venture capital. As a Naval Academy graduate turned investor, Sherman brings unique insights from both military and commercial technology perspectives. His firm focuses on dual-use technologies - innovations that serve both government and commercial applications - making him particularly well-positioned to discuss AI's evolving role in security.

The conversation delves deep into how organizations should approach AI implementation, viewing it as a powerful tool rather than a solution in itself. Sherman shares valuable perspectives on the distinction between AI DevTools and application layer AI, and how entrepreneurs should focus on solving specific problems rather than getting caught up in AI hype. The discussion explores critical considerations around open-source versus closed-source models, particularly in sensitive sectors like government, healthcare, and insurance.

Questions we answer in this episode:

• How should organizations approach AI implementation in their security strategy?
• What's the difference between AI DevTools and application layer AI?
• How are security concerns shaping the development of AI solutions?

Key Takeaways:

• AI should be viewed as a tool for efficiency and productivity, not a standalone solution
• The best AI implementations focus on solving specific, acute problems
• Security considerations are driving innovation in both AI development and deployment

This episode offers essential insights for anyone interested in the future of AI in security and technology development. Sherman's unique perspective, combining military experience with venture capital expertise, provides valuable context for understanding how AI is reshaping the security landscape while highlighting both opportunities and challenges ahead.

Links & Notes

• AIN Ventures
• Follow Sherman on LinkedIn
• The 2017 Google Article Mentioned
• Security Company Mentioned
• Learn more about Paladin Cloud
• Got a question? Ask us here!

• (00:04) - Welcome to Cyber Sentries
• (00:34) - Sherman Williams
• (01:02) - Sherman’s Background
• (05:26) - AI from the Investment Space
• (08:23) - Dev Tools or Application Layer AI
• (12:24) - Security
• (22:46) - Promising Work in Security
• (33:59) - Wrap Up

Transforming Cloud Security Through AI and Data Fabric

Daniel Deeney, CEO and co-founder of Paladin Cloud, joins John Richards to explore how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing cloud security. With extensive experience as an enterprise software CEO and venture capitalist, Deeney brings unique insights from his successful track record of building and scaling cybersecurity companies. After his previous company's acquisition by VMware in 2019, he launched Paladin Cloud to address the growing challenges of managing security across multiple cloud environments.

The episode delves deep into the concept of data fabric and its crucial role in modern cybersecurity. Richards and Deeney discuss how organizations struggle with tool proliferation and data overload in cloud security. They explore how Paladin Cloud's innovative approach uses data fabric to unify risk assessment across various security tools while leveraging generative AI for enhanced threat intelligence. The conversation highlights practical solutions for teams dealing with overwhelming security alerts and the challenge of prioritizing threats effectively.

Questions we answer in this episode:

• How can organizations handle the overwhelming amount of security data from multiple tools?
• What role does generative AI play in modern cloud security?
• How can teams better prioritize security risks across different environments?

Key Takeaways:

• Data fabric technology enables unified risk assessment across multiple security tools
• AI-powered risk scoring helps teams prioritize threats more effectively
• Security teams need both technological solutions and services support to manage modern threats

This episode offers invaluable insights for security professionals, DevOps teams, and technology leaders grappling with cloud security challenges. Whether you're dealing with alert fatigue, struggling to prioritize security risks, or looking to understand how AI can enhance your security operations, this discussion provides practical guidance and strategic perspectives on navigating the complex landscape of modern cloud security.

Links & Notes

• Learn more about Paladin Cloud
• Got a question? Ask us here!

• (00:00) - Welcome to Cyber Sentries
• (01:05) - Meet Daniel Deeney
• (01:25) - Starting Paladin Cloud
• (02:53) - The Approach
• (04:54) - Data Fabric Layer
• (09:39) - Addressing Pain Points
• (15:54) - Bringing Data Together and Normalizing
• (18:52) - Users
• (20:37) - Other Models
• (26:02) - Prioritization
• (29:19) - Customer Service
• (31:16) - Wrap Up