Defend At AI Speed: With Special Guest Adam Ely, Check Point Software
Show notes
AI agents are changing both sides of cybersecurity. Attackers can move faster, while defenders face another challenge: securing the agents inside their own organizations.
On this Cybersecurity Today Weekend Interview, I'm joined by Adam Ely, General Manager of AI Agent Security at Check Point Software. We talk about what AI is changing for security teams—and what still comes down to getting the basics right.
Adam brings the perspective of a former CISO at Fidelity Investments and deputy CISO at Walmart. We discuss the pressure on security leaders, the promise of AI for defenders, and how organizations can adopt agents while controlling what they can access and do.
In this conversation: • Why AI changes the speed and scale of cyberattacks. • CISO burnout, accountability, and the value of sharing experiences. • How AI agents can influence one another's behaviour. • Why security teams need to rehearse and test AI-assisted incident response. • The identity and access challenges of agents that can create other agents. • What it means when companies put agents on the organizational chart. • Why segmentation, access controls, monitoring, and other security basics matter more than ever. • Using AI as a sounding board that challenges your thinking.
Where could AI help your security team—and where would you draw the line on its access? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Hosted by Jim Love. Cybersecurity Today — Weekend Interview October 31, 2026
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Guest biography, Check Point Software: https://www.checkpoint.com/about-us/leadership/
Check Point Software research discussed in the interview: https://blog.checkpoint.com/security/peer-pressure-ai-agents
Adam's article on the changing CISO role: https://blog.checkpoint.com/ai-security/redefining-the-ciso-contract-from-securing-the-business-to-securely-doing-business/