The future of cybersecurity is here, and it's being shaped by artificial intelligence. SecureWorld and Abnormal Security recently partnered to host Innovate 2025, a virtual conference showcasing how AI is revolutionizing the fight against cyber threats.
Designed for security leaders, the event explored how AI is reshaping the cybersecurity landscape and highlighted strategies to stay ahead of emerging threats. The conference featured an impressive lineup of industry leaders, including Evan Reiser, CEO of Abnormal Security; Sherrod DeGrippo, Director of Threat Intelligence Strategy at Microsoft; Arsalan Tavakoli-Shiraji, Co-Founder & SVP of Field Engineering at Databricks; George Kurtz, Founder & CEO of CrowdStrike; and Ariel Weintraub, CISO of Aon. Together, these experts shared cutting-edge insights and practical guidance for tackling today's most pressing security challenges.
Among the standout sessions was George Kurtz's discussion on how AI is transforming cybersecurity. As a pioneer in the industry, Kurtz provided valuable perspectives on the rapidly evolving threat landscape, the role of generative AI, and the importance of collaboration. Here's a deep dive into the highlights of his conversation.
The speed of threats: a race against time
"The speed of adversaries has increased dramatically," said Kurtz, emphasizing that attack times have shrunk from hours to mere minutes. CrowdStrike's data shows that the average breakout time for attackers is now just 69 minutes, with some as quick as two minutes. This unprecedented pace underscores the need for automated, AI-driven cybersecurity solutions that can detect and respond to threats faster than ever.
Kurtz highlighted the rise of cross-domain attacks, where adversaries seamlessly move between cloud environments, identities, internal networks, and endpoints. Groups like Scattered Spider, a well-known cybercriminal group, are leveraging this multifaceted approach to exploit organizations. "Email remains a primary vector leading to identity-based attacks," Kurtz noted, reinforcing the importance of securing this critical entry point.
Generative AI: a double-edged sword
One of the most significant changes Kurtz discussed is the democratization of sophisticated attack techniques through generative AI. "GenAI has lowered the barrier to entry for cybercriminals," he said. Previously, executing advanced attacks required expertise, custom scripts, and significant effort. Today, even low-sophistication attackers can leverage GenAI to write phishing scripts, analyze vulnerabilities, and launch attacks with minimal effort.
However, the same AI technologies that empower attackers are also critical for defenders. Kurtz stressed that "customers must trust good AI to combat bad AI." Automation, memory, planning, and action—key components of AI-driven solutions like CrowdStrike's Charlotte AI—are essential for identifying threats and taking proactive measures in real-time.
Collaboration is the key to success
During the session, Kurtz highlighted the importance of partnerships in the cybersecurity industry. "No single player can solve all security challenges," he said, describing CrowdStrike's open ecosystem approach. By integrating with solutions like Abnormal Security, CrowdStrike ensures that customers benefit from seamless workflows and enriched threat intelligence across platforms.
An example of this collaboration's success is the joint integration between CrowdStrike and Abnormal, which has already been adopted by 15% of Abnormal's customer base, including several Fortune 500 companies. This partnership enables both platforms to share data and improve detection and response capabilities, particularly for identity-based and email-borne threats.
The road ahead: predictions for cybersecurity's future
Looking forward, Kurtz predicts that the industry will face entirely new types of attacks driven by GenAI. "We're going to see new attack taxonomies emerge, including model poisoning and inversion attacks against AI systems," he explained. The speed and sophistication of these threats will demand innovative defensive measures and pave the way for new security companies to address these challenges.
Kurtz also highlighted the persistent issue of identity security, noting that 80% of attacks are identity-based. Despite years of efforts, passwords remain a weak link in cybersecurity defenses. The next wave of innovation will likely focus on mitigating these vulnerabilities while addressing the broader implications of AI-driven threats.
Lessons from the past: resilience through transparency
Reflecting on CrowdStrike's past challenges, including a highly-publicized outage, Kurtz emphasized the importance of transparency and continuous improvement. "We owned the problem, explained what happened, and fixed it," he said. This approach not only restored customer trust but also strengthened CrowdStrike as a company, according to Kurtz. He said he hopes that such experiences will drive the entire industry to become more resilient and better prepared for future crises.
This event is available on-demand, and you can still register to access the recorded sessions. Don't miss the opportunity to learn from industry leaders and earn valuable CPE credits.
