Like many of you, we were shocked and saddened to hear of Dr. Eric Cole's passing. His impact on cybersecurity will live on for years to come. We begin with this tribute to him:
Elsewhere, George V. Hulme has been following the latest activity from ShinyHunters. The gang's Charter breach illustrates the limits we've reached with identity security and SaaS, and what we need to start doing differently:
Meanwhile, we continue to see AI changing how we approach cybersecurity. The latest example is Zero Trust, which must evolve to meet the demands of agentic AI. This recent move between NVIDIA and Xage illustrates how that evolution is playing out:
A week has passed since CYBR.HAK.CON, but the content continues to flow. These articles focus on keynotes by Dustin "Wirefall" Dykes and Jason Haddix.
Dykes opines that with AI making deception easier, human connections – not technology – will be the most effective defense against a future where reality itself becomes increasingly difficult to verify:
Haddix showed how AI-powered "hackbots" are helping offensive security teams scale reconnaissance, analyze complex applications, and uncover real vulnerabilities, while proving that human expertise remains the deciding factor:
During CYBR.HAK.CON, I had dinner with a friend I had not seen in nearly 30 years. We grew up in Revere, Mass., and had a best friend in common. That friend fell to suicide in 1996 and as we shared memories of him, it occurred to me how much losing him fueled my push for mental health in cybersecurity and beyond. I wrote this as a belated acknowledgement:
Finally, an announcement: VIP tickets for CYBR.SEC.CON. are only available until June 30th - and regular ticket prices go up that same day. VIP is the only ticket type that includes lunch, along with exclusive access and added perks designed to make your conference day even better. Don’t wait to lock in your spot at the best rate - get your tickets now: https://zurl.co/mPwdd
Meanwhile, great news: the CYBR.SEC.CON. deadline has been extended until June 14, 2026 to submit your talk proposal or village idea. Have research to share? A hands-on concept? A perspective the cybersecurity community needs to hear? Now is the time to send it in. Submit your abstract today:
Until next time ...
--Bill Brenner, VP and Editor-in-Chief, CYBR.SEC.Media
