In this episode of the Cybersecurity Awesomeness Podcast, Chris Steffen and Ken Buckler prepare for the 2026 RSAC in San Francisco. Dubbed the "Super Bowl" of security, the event expects over 45,000 attendees and 600 vendors at the Moscone Center. Chris, managing a schedule of nearly 40 meetings, joins Ken to navigate the overwhelming noise of the show floor.

The duo identifies Agentic AI and autonomous solutions as the dominant—yet potentially distracting—themes of the year. They caution against the "silver bullet" mentality, urging leaders to focus on securing AI agents against hallucinations and IP leaks rather than viewing them as total replacements for human staff. Beyond the AI hype, they highlight the critical arrival of "Q-Day" and the necessity of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) readiness. The hosts encourage listeners to visit the Innovation Sandbox and Early Stage Expo for emerging tech while maintaining a steadfast commitment to foundational cyber hygiene. Ultimately, they embrace the conference theme, "The Power of Community," emphasizing that face-to-face networking remains the industry’s most valuable asset.

In this episode of the Cybersecurity Awesomeness Podcast, Chris Steffen and Ken Buckler prepare for the RSA Conference (RSAC), often described as the "Super Bowl" of cybersecurity by talking about the EMA Vendor Vision report. To help attendees navigate the overwhelming presence of over 600 exhibitors, the hosts break down EMA’s "Vendor Vision" report, which spotlights ten essential innovators. The discussion covers a broad technological spectrum, ranging from Straker’s cutting-edge adversarial AI in the Early Stage Expo to Sky High Security’s leadership in Data Security Posture Management (DSPM).

Key highlights include AWS’s unified cloud security suite, Acalvio's deception technologies, F5’s API-driven AI protections, and the evolving identity landscape spearheaded by Yubico and SailPoint. The hosts also examine the maturation of Privileged Access Management through Delinea and Keeper Security, alongside Proofpoint’s focus on human-centric vulnerabilities and business email compromise. By filtering the noise of the Moscone Center, this episode provides a strategic roadmap for identifying the technical trends that will define the industry for the coming months. It serves as an indispensable guide for anyone looking to maximize their impact and insight during the conference.

In this episode of the Cybersecurity Awesomeness Podcast, hosts Chris Steffen and Ken Buckler explore the shifting priorities of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) as they navigate the transition from rapid AI adoption to a more disciplined, risk-aware strategy. As of 2026, the "deploy first, secure later" mentality is facing a reckoning, particularly regarding autonomous or agentic AI. The discussion highlights alarming real-world incidents—such as an AI agent deleting a production database during a code freeze and another wiping a Meta executive's inbox despite repeated "stop" commands—to illustrate the volatility of unmanaged AI.

The conversation characterizes AI as a paradox: a tool with "graduate-level intelligence but the gullibility of an eight-year-old." The hosts argue that marginal productivity gains cannot justify catastrophic risks like data destruction or unauthorized access. Ultimately, the episode emphasizes that AI should not be pursued at the expense of foundational security pillars like identity management. CISOs are urged to apply existing human-centric guardrails to AI agents, ensuring these tools remain business enablers rather than liabilities.