AI Security, Cyber Risk, and Cloud Strategy on ClearTech Loop

As AI becomes embedded across security operations and business workflows, organizations are confronting a new reality. AI is no longer just a tool. It is behaving like a digital co-worker acting on data, surfacing decisions, and influencing outcomes.  In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Timothy Youngblood , a four-time Fortune 500 CSO and CISO, board member, angel investo...

AI adoption is accelerating across the enterprise, often faster than governance and risk models were designed to support. Boards want innovation. Business leaders want speed. Security teams are expected to manage risk in environments where the technology itself is still evolving.  In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson speaks with Mustapha Kebbeh, Chief Security Officer at UKG, about why t...

The market is converging.  Networking, security, and cloud operations are no longer separate conversations. They are colliding at the operational layer, driven by hybrid environments, AI driven operations, and growing pressure to reduce complexity without losing control.  In this episode of ClearTech Loop Market Perspective , Jo Peterson sits down with Dan DeBacker , Chief Product Officer at Extre...

Security teams have spent years operating in reaction mode. Alerts fire, analysts scramble, and incident response often moves at human speed while adversaries move faster.  In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Evan Kirstel to talk about how generative AI is changing that reality. Evan shares practical examples of how AI powered triage is shrinking incident response timelin...

AI has erased the perimeter. Security teams are no longer guarding walls — they’re managing airspace.  In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Deputy CISO Aby Rao to unpack what AI security really looks like when threats move through models, APIs, agents, and identity flows instead of firewalls and fences.  Aby explains why security teams are at an inflection point:  No code...

AI is not a fix for a broken SOC. It exposes weaknesses you already have. In this ClearTech Loop episode, Jo Peterson talks with Dr. Anton Chuvakin — Senior Security Staff in Google Cloud’s Office of the CISO and one of the most respected voices in SOC modernization — about what “AI readiness” really means and why most teams are nowhere near it.  You’ll hear about:  • Why AI accelerates process de...

A practical framework for AI ROI: visibility, accountability, and value  Episode description / show notes   Last week, you probably caught my chat with Ajay Patel, GM of Apptio and IBM IT Automation. If you missed it, this episode breaks down how a layer of financial intelligence turns AI from experiments into measurable business value.  We walk through a simple framework that leaders can actually...

Enterprises are not trying to modernize in a vacuum. They are running mission-critical workloads on mainframes and ERPs, while also deploying cloud apps, SaaS platforms, and mobile services at scale. Now leaders are expected to layer in AI without disrupting operations.  Hybrid integration is how they do it.  In this ClearTech Loop special edition sponsored by IBM webMethods, Jo Peterson breaks do...

How do you enable AI inside one of the most highly regulated industries on the planet — without slowing the business or attracting regulatory heat?  In this episode, veteran financial-services CISO Parrish Gunnels joins Jo Peterson to break down the real playbook for operationalizing AI in banking environments.  This isn’t theory. It’s where risk appetite, regulation, and revenue meet reality .  W...

Episode Description: In this episode of ClearTech Loop , Jo Peterson sits down with John Carse , Field CISO at SquareX and former CISO at Dyson and Rakuten , to talk about why modern CISOs must move beyond fear, uncertainty, and doubt — and start quantifying risk in business terms.  Carse explains how two levers — risk appetite and budget alignment — determine every security decision, and why the...

AI doesn’t fail because of bad models — it fails because of broken connections. Jo Peterson and David Linthicum unpack how IBM’s webMethods Hybrid Integration unites data, applications, and automation for AI that actually delivers.  Episode Description:   When it comes to AI success, it’s not just about the model — it’s about the movement of data.  In this episode of ClearTech Loop , Jo Peterson s...

AI safety isn’t about slowing innovation — it’s about steering smarter. In this episode of ClearTech Loop , Jo Peterson sits down with Dutch Schwartz , Vice President of Cloud Services and fractional CISO at SideChannel , to talk about how CISOs can keep delivery velocity while adding the guardrails that actually reduce risk.  Dutch shares real-world lessons from the Cloud Security Alliance’s AI S...

AI is moving fast — and the frameworks to secure it are racing to keep up.  In this episode of ClearTech Loop , Jo Peterson sits down with George Finney , Chief Security Officer for the University of Texas System and Co-Chair of the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) AI Safety Council) , to unpack the CSA AI Safety Initiative — a global effort to build practical guardrails for AI adoption.  They cover:...

Jo Peterson explores why hybrid integration is now the foundation of full-stack automation — and how a unified platform helps IT leaders manage complexity, connect data across environments, and scale AI initiatives securely. Featuring insights on IBM webMethods Hybrid Integration. Episode Description Today’s enterprise runs everywhere — cloud, on-prem, SaaS, and edge. The real challenge isn’t conn...

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Bil Harmer , Founder & CEO of Killswitch Advisory , to explore a topic every security leader wrestles with — how to make cybersecurity pay for itself.   Harmer brings more than two decades of experience leading programs for startups, governments, and global financial institutions. He’s blunt, practical, and focused on one truth: cyb...

 CISOs are being asked to do two things at once: deploy AI faster and guarantee it won’t backfire. In this ClearTech Loop episode, Jo Peterson talks with Josh Copeland — cybersecurity executive, professor, and author of Unpopular Opinion — about how to balance speed and safety in AI adoption.  You’ll hear about:  Four AI “survival moves” CISOs can use now: hypothesis testing, knowledge synthesis,...

Summary Jo Peterson explores how a full stack approach to automation — powered by a hybrid control plane and AI — helps IT leaders cut through fragmentation and build an AI-ready foundation. Featuring insights on IBM webMethods Hybrid Integration.  Episode Description Enterprise IT is more fragmented than ever — siloed apps, processes, and clouds that don’t talk to each other. The result? manual w...

AI isn’t just another shiny tool — it’s a catalyst to rethink how we secure and govern our organizations.  In this ClearTech Loop episode, Jo Peterson sits down with Rob May — Executive Chairman of ramsac, UK Cybersecurity Ambassador, and author of Harnessing AI and The Human Firewall .  Rob shares a practical playbook for CISOs navigating AI adoption:  Reframe the Role of AI: Treat it as assistiv...

AI isn’t just a productivity tool — it’s a brand-new attack surface.  In this ClearTech Loop episode, Jo Peterson sits down with David Linthicum — cloud pioneer, five-time best-selling author, and leading voice on cloud and AI strategy.  David shares a practical roadmap for CISOs facing the reality of AI adoption:  Weaponize AI for Good : Use generative AI to simulate attacks on your own systems....

CISOs wear three hats in 2025: Operator, Strategist, Storyteller .  In this ClearTech Loop episode, Jo Peterson sits down with Mark Lynd — Head of Executive Advisory & Strategy at Netsync, globally ranked AI & Security Thought Leader, and author of Cyber War One Scenario .  Mark shares a practical field guide for CISOs navigating the complexity of AI adoption:  Operator: Shift SOCs from al...

Rules don’t scale. Architecture does. F5’s Lori MacVittie makes the case for putting security policy in the infrastructure —not the app—and for treating AI as its own threat surface . If your program is still chasing strings with rules, you’re already behind.   If your “AI security” strategy is a pile of brittle rules, you’re governing yesterday’s system. In this no-fluff conversation, Lori MacVit...

Think your security strategy is airtight? Think again.  In this episode, Brad Moldenhauer — VP and CISO-in-Residence at Zscaler — lays out the brutal truth: most companies are underestimating the financial and existential risks lurking in their systems.  He’s not pulling punches.  From AI that predicts attacks before they happen to material risks that could bankrupt you overnight, Brad explains ho...

ClearTech Loop Ep. 8 with Rob Bair, CISO-in-Residence at Zscaler   Episode Summary   Cybercriminals are running fake AI startups — and users are downloading ransomware straight from what looks like “innovation.” In this episode, Rob Bair (Zscaler) breaks down how ransomware has gone corporate: polished websites, SEO poisoning, even English-speaking help desks guiding victims through payments.  Thi...

You think AI is protecting you.  It might actually be helping hackers.  V-CISO Danny Pastrana has seen it first-hand — AI tools deployed without guardrails can turn into a compliance nightmare, a data leak machine, and your fastest path to a breach.  In this episode, Danny rips the lid off AI hype and shows you where the real danger lives — and how to keep it from wrecking your business.  In This...

In this sixth episode of ClearTech Loop , Jo Peterson is joined by Robert Uno, Global CISO and Founder of Triden Group, to unpack what modern cybersecurity leadership really looks like—from AI governance to financial risk quantification.  This 10-minute episode continues The CISO Slant —a 10-part series that explores how today’s security leaders are navigating AI disruption, boardroom expectations...