At this year’s Gartner Security Summit, Kevin Schmidt delivered one of the more grounded takes on AI and automation in cybersecurity ops.
Instead of chasing the “autonomous SOC” fantasy, he laid out a realistic, phased approach.
Month: June 2025
If you’ve spent more than five minutes in cybersecurity leadership lately, you’ve probably been overwhelmed by it: hype. Whether it’s the latest AI breakthrough, a new vendor claiming to end ransomware forever, or regulatory shifts generating boardroom panic, the noise is constant. But what if hype isn’t just a distraction? What if it’s a lever?
As someone who has worked closely with members of the U.S. Secret Service over the years, I walked into Evy Poumpouras’ keynote at the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit with high expectations. Her impressive credentials—a former Secret Service agent, polygraph examiner, and interrogator—suggested we’d be in for a tactical, high-impact session.
At the 2025 Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit, Adam Grant — The Wharton School psychologist, bestselling author, and host of the podcasts WorkLife and Re:Thinking—delivered a keynote that left the ballroom buzzing. His topic: “Unlocking Hidden Potential.” But this wasn’t your typical motivational session. With humor, data, and disarming vulnerability, Grant challenged security leaders to rethink how they cultivate growth—both in themselves and across their organizations.