Machine-Scale Defense and the Future of Cybersecurity
Jeetu Patel, President and Chief Product Officer at Cisco, joins Ann on this week's episode of Afternoon Cyber Tea to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the cybersecurity landscape. Jeetu shares insights on the urgent need for machine-scale defenses, the potential for defenders to finally tip the scale against attackers, and the importance of collaboration across the industry. They discuss the evolution of agentic AI, the challenges of innovation fragmentation, and why cybersecurity must become more accessible and effective to keep pace with modern threats.Â
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Resources:Â Â
View Jeetu Patel On LinkedIn Â
View Ann Johnson on LinkedIn  Â
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Related Microsoft Podcasts:Â Â
Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Â
The BlueHat Podcast  Â
Uncovering Hidden Risks Â
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Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Â
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Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.
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29:50
The Human Firewall: People-First Cybersecurity
Dr. Aleise McGowan, Chief Information Security Officer of BlackGirlsHack and a 20-year cybersecurity veteran, joins Ann on this week's episode of Afternoon Cyber Tea. Aleise shares how a career-defining hack early on shifted her trajectory from developer to defender, and why she believes the future of security lies in resilience, diversity, and human-centered leadership. She talks about what separates good and great leaders during the first hours of an incident response and why delayed action equals exponential damage. She also spotlights her work with BlackGirlsHack, a rapidly growing nonprofit that opens doors for underrepresented talent in cyber, and makes the case that building an inclusive security workforce isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do.Â
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View Aleise McGowan on LinkedIn Â
View Ann Johnson on LinkedIn  Â
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Related Microsoft Podcasts:Â Â
Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Â
The BlueHat Podcast  Â
Uncovering Hidden Risks Â
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Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Â
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Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.
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33:03
Security and Agentic AI
Yonatan Zunger, Corporate Vice President and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer for Artificial Intelligence at Microsoft joins Ann on this week's episode of Afternoon Cyber Tea. They dive into the evolving cybersecurity landscape shaped by generative and agentic AI, discussing both the opportunities and the risks. Yonatan shares insights on how organizations should think about AI as a junior employee - not infallible, but useful when paired with human oversight. They also explore the principles of safe AI development, how to balance innovation with governance, and why AI could finally enable persistent cybersecurity defense in a way never before possible.Â
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View Yonatan Zunger on LinkedIn Â
View Ann Johnson on LinkedIn  Â
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Related Microsoft Podcasts:Â Â
Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Â
The BlueHat Podcast  Â
Uncovering Hidden Risks Â
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Â
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Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.
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24:44
Hugh Thompson on Building the RSA Conference
Dr. Hugh Thompson, Executive Chairman of RSA Conference and Managing Partner at Crosspoint Capital joins Ann on this week's episode of Afternoon Cyber Tea. They discuss what goes into planning the world’s largest cybersecurity conference—from theme selection to llama-related surprises on the expo floor—and how the RSA community continues to evolve. Hugh also shares how his background in applied math led him from academia to cybersecurity, his thoughts on the human element in security, and what keeps him optimistic about the future of the industry.Â
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View Hugh Thompson on LinkedIn  Â
View Ann Johnson on LinkedIn  Â
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Related Microsoft Podcasts:Â Â
Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Â
The BlueHat Podcast  Â
Uncovering Hidden Risks Â
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Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Â
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Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.
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37:34
Bringing the Cyber Tea to RSA 2025
On this special episode of Afternoon Cyber Tea, Ann brings listeners inside the 2025 RSA Conference to explore the intersection of AI, quantum computing and cyber resiliency with two visionary experts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Vinod Vaikuntanathan and Dr. Sasha O’Connell from The Aspen Institute. Vinod shares how quantum computing poses a serious threat to current encryption methods and explains the urgent need for post-quantum cryptography, while Sasha shares her non-technical path into cybersecurity, her work leading Aspen Digital’s global policy efforts and the launch of the new public campaign aimed at making cybersecurity accessible and actionable for everyone. Â
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Resources:Â Â
View Sasha O’Connell on LinkedIn Â
View Vinod Vaikuntanathan on LinkedIn         Â
View Ann Johnson on LinkedIn  Â
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Related Microsoft Podcasts:Â Â
Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast Â
The BlueHat Podcast  Â
Uncovering Hidden Risks Â
      Â
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Â
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Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.
Ann Johnson, Corporate Vice President and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at Microsoft, talks with cybersecurity thought leaders and influential industry experts about the trends shaping the cyber landscape and what should be top-of-mind for the C-suite and other key decision makers. Ann and her guests explore the risk and promise of emerging technologies, as well as the impact on how humans work, communicate, consume information, and live in this era of digital transformation. Please note, the opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and are not endorsed by, nor do they necessarily reflect opinions of, Microsoft or Ann Johnson.
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