This is part two of a two-part series. Read part one here.
In a recent conversation with George Kurtz, president, CEO, and co-founder of leading cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, we explored the company’s data-driven approach and future vision for cybersecurity. CrowdStrike’s cloud-based, single-agent platform allows customers to seamlessly integrate new services while merging human intelligence with AI. Kurtz emphasizes that combining human insights from incident response and threat hunting with AI-driven data analysis is pivotal for the future of cybersecurity.
0:04/14:43 Are You Ready for AI Agents? In the second part of our interview, Kurtz highlights the growing necessity for cybersecurity expertise on corporate boards and discusses the transformative role of generative AI in cybersecurity. He also provides guidance for CISOs and security leaders on evaluating cybersecurity solutions.
VB: How does CrowdStrike’s strategy align with boards' strategic goals and risk appetites?
Kurtz: It’s crucial to communicate in terms the board understands—risk and risk mitigation. Boards are primarily concerned with three factors: time, financial impact, and legal exposure. My focus is on achieving the primary goal: preventing breaches. Historically, the industry has fixated on stopping malware instead of preventing breaches, which is a key distinction.
When I engage with boards, I emphasize that their investment in security should yield the outcome of not being breached. This leads to discussions on compliance with SEC regulations and data protection laws, both domestically and internationally. Boards prioritize their reputation, financial stability, and operational continuity. If an organization faces disruptions that hinder product delivery or customer interaction, the financial consequences can be severe. Ultimately, our goal is to deliver the outcome they desire: safety, compliance, and streamlined vendor management to reduce unnecessary expenses.
VB: Are you seeing more security executives, like CISOs, joining boards as threats accelerate?
Kurtz: Yes, absolutely. In financial organizations, third-party auditors and risk-focused individuals are commonplace. Most public boards have a CFO overseeing risk, so I believe cybersecurity expertise is becoming an essential attribute for future board members. We collaborate with many CISOs with backgrounds in financial services who comprehend business risks and public company dynamics; these individuals will be invaluable as trusted advisors to boards, helping them understand their cyber exposure.
VB: Regarding your architecture's ability to adapt to generative AI threats, what innovations do you foresee in cybersecurity?
Kurtz: We are still in the early stages of generative AI development. Our vision for Charlotte AI enhances our capabilities by integrating it across various categories like exposure management and data protection. Charlotte AI doesn’t just answer questions; it can also take action on behalf of our customers, which is crucial.
In typical generative AI interactions, human decision-making is still central. Our goal is to achieve a level of automation where AI can independently identify and address issues more accurately than a human, marking a significant breakthrough in cybersecurity.
VB: Can you share a notable customer success story that exemplifies your platform’s effectiveness?
Kurtz: While I can’t disclose the customer's name, we partnered with a major SaaS provider seeking to consolidate their technology stack significantly. Their environment was cluttered with overlapping solutions. By implementing our platform, we streamlined their technologies, eliminating several redundancies. This case exemplifies our capability to build trust with customers and the desire to maximize the potential of our platform in their operations. Customers recognize it as a crucial security tool.
VB: What advice would you offer organizations and CISOs reevaluating their cybersecurity strategies in today’s fast-evolving threat landscape?
Kurtz: First, it’s vital to look beyond mere presentations. Verify that technologies deliver on their promises and provide quick value—implementations shouldn’t take six months. Secondly, understand the difference between price and cost. A free solution might come with high hidden costs, including operational and reputational risks. Assessing the true cost of a solution—including the implications for personnel, software, and hardware— is crucial.
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