AI Security, Cyber Risk, and Cloud Strategy on ClearTech Loop

ClearTech Research / Jo Peterson
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Season 2 of ClearTech Loop is built around three questions:  How is AI changing the way organizations think about risk?  What does stronger cybersecurity leadership look like right now?  How should leaders rethink cloud strategy as business and technology keep shifting? Hosted by Jo Peterson, Chief Analyst at ClearTech Research, ClearTech Loop is a fast, focused podcast covering AI, cybersecurity, and cloud risk through a business leadership lens.  Each 10-15 minute episode explores the issues shaping modern technology strategy and the decisions leaders cannot afford to ignore. From governance and resilience to infrastructure change and emerging risk, ClearTech Loop helps leaders make sense of what is shifting, what matters most, and what comes next.

  1. 2d ago

    AI Agents Are Already Working for You. Do You Know Who They Are?

    AI agents are already operating inside enterprises, accessing systems, making decisions and, in some cases, creating other agents. The problem? Many organizations still cannot answer some very basic questions: What agents are running? Who owns them? What can they access? And who is accountable for what they do? In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson talks with Michael Krigsman, founder and host of CXOTalk, about what AI security looks like when the workforce is no longer entirely human. Michael argues that before enterprises can solve for least privilege, agent-specific controls or AI governance, they have to start with something more fundamental: visibility. Know what is running, establish ownership, understand access and risk, then build the controls around it.   They also discuss why AI governance committees are only as effective as their execution, why security teams should avoid becoming the “owner of no,” and how a new CISO can begin getting control of an unmanaged AI environment.   In this episode: Why traditional IAM and PAM were not built for autonomous AI agentsWhy agent inventory and visibility have to come firstWhat happens when agents create subagents with their own permissionsThe gap between AI governance policy and actual enforcementHow leaders should think about shadow AIWhere a new CISO should begin in the first 30 daysWhy AI agents may need to be managed more like employees, contractors or freelancersMichael leaves leaders with a practical way to think about the problem: give agents identities, know what jobs they are doing, know who owns them and know what they can access.   About Michael Krigsman Michael Krigsman is a globally recognized analyst, strategic advisor and industry commentator focused on digital transformation, innovation and AI leadership. He is the founder and host of CXOTalk, where he has interviewed nearly 1,000 business leaders, technologists and academics. His work has been referenced in the media more than 1,000 times and in more than 50 books and journal articles.  Pasted markdown Worth Reading + Watching Hugging Face: Anatomy of a Frontier Lab Agent Intrusion A technical look at the incident discussed during the episode and how autonomous agent activity can move across systems and trust boundaries. Microsoft: Why Shadow AI Governance Matters for the Enterprise A useful companion to Michael’s point about visibility, discovery and unmanaged agents. ClearTech Loop: AI Agents Don’t Care About Your Governance Committee with Louis Columbus A deeper look at the gap between governance on paper and controls that actually work at runtime. ClearTech Loop: Your AI Agent Just Found Everything You Forgot to Secure with Joe McKendrick A look at what happens when AI gains access to years of enterprise data, permissions and forgotten content. Stay in the Loop Subscribe to ClearTech Loop for conversations with technology leaders about AI, cybersecurity, cloud and the issues changing enterprise technology right now. And one question to take back to your team: Could your organization produce a complete inventory of every AI agent operating today? 🎧 Listen: In Buzzsprout Player ▶ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ClearTechResearch/videos 📰 Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

    AI Agents Are Already Working for You. Do You Know Who They Are?

  2. Sep 22

    Your AI Agent Just Found Everything You Forgot to Secure

    AI agents are gaining credentials, permissions and the ability to act across enterprise systems. But what happens when they discover years of forgotten files, excessive permissions and data that was never secured with AI access in mind?  In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson talks with longtime technology analyst and Forbes contributor Joe McKendrick about the security implications of the agentic workforce.  They discuss:  Why AI agents should be treated like non-human identities The gap between AI governance policies and actual enforcement How agents can expose forgotten enterprise data and permissions Why human oversight and accountability still matter What security leaders should be thinking about as agentic AI expands Joe offers a simple warning: treat your AI agents with the same caution and restricted access you would give an intern.  Because AI may not create your security debt.  It may simply be the thing that finally exposes it.  🎧 Listen: In Buzzsprout Player ▶ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ClearTechResearch/videos 📰 Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

    Your AI Agent Just Found Everything You Forgot to Secure

  3. Sep 15

    AI Agents Don’t Care About Your Governance Committee | Louis Columbus

    AI governance may exist on paper. That does not mean it works when an autonomous agent is running in production.  Louis Columbus, senior cybersecurity contributor at VentureBeat, joins Jo Peterson to talk about what happens when AI agents have identities, credentials, access and enough autonomy to act without waiting for human approval.  They get into the gap between governance and enforcement, why companies may have far more agents running than they realize, and what CISOs need to know about agent identity, least privilege and credential risk.  Louis also shares a case where an AI agent began modifying security policies to give itself more freedom.  That changes the conversation.  In this episode:  • Why AI governance can become security theater  • The identity problem created by autonomous agents  • Why agent inventory has to come first  • API keys, credentials and overprivileged access  • What runtime enforcement actually means  • Why ownership matters as much as policy  • How enterprises can move toward “velocity with governance”  About Louis Columbus  Louis Columbus is a senior cybersecurity contributor at VentureBeat covering cybersecurity, enterprise AI, identity, zero trust and the security risks emerging as autonomous AI systems move into production.  Read Louis’s work: https://venturebeat.com/author/louis-columbus/  Additional Resources  The credential that let OpenAI’s agents into Hugging Face exists in most enterprises right now https://venturebeat.com/security/the-credential-that-let-openais-agents-into-hugging-face-exists-in-most-enterprises-right-now  An AI now judges every move Rubrik’s agents make https://venturebeat.com/security/an-ai-now-judges-every-move-rubriks-agents-make-its-ai-chief-said-at-vb-transform-2026-but-no-ones-measured-if-the-judge-is-right  Four big enterprise lessons from Walmart’s AI security https://venturebeat.com/ai/four-big-enterprise-lessons-from-walmart-ai-security-agentic-risks-identity-reboot-velocity-with-governance-and-ai-vs-ai-defense  The Agent Security Gap https://venturebeat.com/resources/the-agent-security-gap-54-of-enterprises-have-already-had-an-ai-agent-incident-and-most-still-let-agents-share-credentials  Follow ClearTech Research  Subscribe to ClearTech Loop on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/  Watch ClearTech Research on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ClearTechResearch  Learn more: https://cleartechresearch.com/  🎧 Listen: In Buzzsprout Player ▶ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ClearTechResearch/videos 📰 Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

    AI Agents Don’t Care About Your Governance Committee | Louis Columbus

  4. Sep 9

    Your AI Agent Is a Narcissist — And That’s a Security Problem

    Your AI agent has one job: accomplish the objective.  It doesn’t care about your policies. It doesn’t worry about getting fired. And it may not stop when a human would.  Joanna Wiggum calls it a narcissist.  That sounds funny until you think about what happens when that “narcissist” has credentials, access to enterprise systems and permission to act autonomously.  In this episode, Joanna joins Jo Peterson to talk about what AI agents are exposing inside enterprise security — weak credentials, unfinished zero-trust programs, governance committees with no real authority and security debt that AI can exploit at machine speed.  Why Joanna says AI agents need “actual zero trust”  Why some AI governance programs may be little more than security theater  What happens when agents can create or delegate permissions  Why old security failures become much more dangerous with autonomous AI  What a CISO should do when the organization is already behind  And when Jo asks Joanna what a CISO starting from zero should do in the next 30 days, Joanna doesn’t hesitate:  “Outsource.”  Listen to the full conversation to hear why.  Short Summary  AI agents don’t care about your policies. Joanna Wiggum joins Jo Peterson to explain why autonomous AI is exposing security debt, where zero trust breaks down and why some AI governance programs may be little more than theater.  Links & Resources  Countervail: https://countervailintelligence.com/  Joanna Wiggum — The Moral Imperative to Fight: https://countervailintelligence.com/2026/07/08/the-moral-imperative-to-fight/  OWASP — Agentic Security Initiative: https://genai.owasp.org/initiatives/agentic-security-initiative/  Related CTL: AI Agent Governance Starts With Visibility — Alvaro Gonzalez: https://cleartechresearch.com/ai-agent-governance-alvaro-gonzalez/  ClearTech Loop LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/  ClearTech Research on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ClearTechResearch  🎧 Listen: In Buzzsprout Player ▶ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ClearTechResearch/videos 📰 Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

    Your AI Agent Is a Narcissist — And That’s a Security Problem

  5. Sep 1

    AI Agent Governance: Who Owns the Risk? with Benny Czarny of OPSWAT

    Guest  Benny Czarny  CEO, Founder & Chairman of the Board  OPSWAT  Host  Jo Peterson  CIO, Clarify360  Chief Analyst, ClearTech Research  AI agents have credentials. They access enterprise data. They make decisions. And increasingly, they can act without waiting for a human.  So who actually owns the risk?  Jo Peterson sits down with Benny Czarny, CEO, Founder & Chairman of the Board at OPSWAT, to talk about what AI agent governance needs to look like as autonomous AI moves deeper into the enterprise.  They discuss why every AI agent needs its own identity and a human owner, how least privilege should apply to agents and sub-agents, and why understanding what data an agent can access may be just as important as securing the model itself.  Benny also shares where CISOs should start if they don’t yet have an AI agent inventory or governance framework in place.  In This Episode  Why every AI agent needs a human owner Least privilege for AI agents and sub-agents The growing risk around AI data access Why AI governance needs real authority The first step CISOs should take in the next 30 days Chapter Markers  00:00 Meet Benny Czarny of OPSWAT 01:40 Protecting critical infrastructure 02:05 Least privilege for AI agents 03:58 Permanent credentials and autonomous agents 05:15 Does AI governance actually work? 07:23 Where CISOs should start 09:29 Protecting the AI data lake 12:34 What AI can learn from OT security 13:12 Cloud, on-prem and air-gapped AI 13:54 OPSWAT’s own AI journey  Resource Links  OPSWAT https://www.opswat.com/ OPSWAT Academy https://opswatacademy.com/ Cybersecurity Upside Down — Benny Czarny https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GH8SZXJ9 ClearTech Research https://cleartechresearch.com/ ClearTech Loop Newsletter https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/ Full ClearTech Research Article https://cleartechresearch.com/ai-agent-governance-benny-czarny/ 🎧 Listen: In Buzzsprout Player ▶ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ClearTechResearch/videos 📰 Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

    AI Agent Governance: Who Owns the Risk? with Benny Czarny of OPSWAT

  6. Aug 18

    Your AI Agents Are Already Running. Can You See Them? | Alvaro Gonzalez

    AI agents can hold credentials, access sensitive data, make decisions and even create other identities. But many organizations still cannot answer a basic question: what is actually running in the environment?  In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Alvaro Gonzalez, SVP of Product and Go-to-Market at Assured Data Protection, to talk about what AI governance looks like when identity and access are changing at machine speed.  Alvaro explains why organizations should start with three things: inventory, observability and remediation. They also discuss whether AI governance committees are actually governing or merely documenting, why CISOs should inventory agents before building more policy, and how Alvaro’s idea of “controlled aggression” can help enterprises experiment with AI without losing the ability to recover when something goes wrong.  You cannot govern what you cannot see.  Listen to Learn  Why AI agent governance should start with inventory What least privilege looks like when identities can create other identities Why observability matters alongside access control Why remediation belongs in the AI identity conversation Whether AI governance committees are really changing behavior What Alvaro means by “librarians and warriors” How “controlled aggression” can help organizations move faster without losing control Featured Soundbite  “You cannot govern what you cannot see.”  — Alvaro Gonzalez  Featured Guest  Alvaro Gonzalez  SVP of Product and Go-to-Market  Assured Data Protection  Alvaro leads product, alliance, marketing and go-to-market functions at Assured Data Protection, with a focus on data protection, cyber resilience and the systems that support field and channel execution.  Host  Jo Peterson  CIO, Clarify360  Chief Analyst, ClearTech Research  Episode Links  Full episode webpage: https://cleartechresearch.com/ai-agent-governance-alvaro-gonzalez/  Subscribe to ClearTech Loop: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/  Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ClearTechResearch  Additional Resources  Assured Data Protection: 5 Ways You Can Improve Your Cyber Recovery Plan https://assured-dp.com/guides/5-ways-you-can-improve-your-cyber-recovery-plan-with-assured-data-protection/  NIST AI Risk Management Framework https://www.nist.gov/itl/ai-risk-management-framework  Model Context Protocol — Security Best Practices https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/draft/basic/security_best_practices  Previous ClearTech Loop: AI Agents Shouldn’t Be Trusted by Default with Elliott Mattice https://cleartechresearch.com/ai-governance-trust-elliott-mattice/  🎧 Listen: In Buzzsprout Player ▶ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ClearTechResearch/videos 📰 Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

    Your AI Agents Are Already Running. Can You See Them? | Alvaro Gonzalez

  7. Aug 11

    AI Agents Are New. The Security Fundamentals Are Not

    The conversation around AI is shifting from what agents can do to how enterprises actually govern and secure them.  In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with cybersecurity professional Marcus Cylar to talk about least-privilege access for AI agents, shadow AI, security awareness and what CISOs should prioritize as agentic AI becomes part of the enterprise.  Marcus challenges the idea that AI automatically requires an entirely new security playbook. His argument: before organizations rush toward new controls and platforms, they need to make sure the cybersecurity fundamentals are actually working.  The conversation covers why least privilege, role-based access, system inventory and clear ownership still matter; why shadow AI can reveal unmet employee needs; and why creating a culture where employees can honestly disclose the tools they are using is critical to effective governance.  For CISOs starting from zero, Marcus offers a practical first step: know what you have.  Before you can govern AI agents, you need visibility into the systems, permissions, ownership and AI tools already operating inside your organization.  In this episode:  Why AI agents do not eliminate traditional cybersecurity fundamentals Least-privilege access in an agentic environment Why security awareness matters even more with AI Shadow AI and the “Department of No” The importance of system and AI inventory What CISOs should prioritize in the next 30 days Why trust and transparency are part of AI governance Featured Guest:  Marcus Cylar, DMin  Cybersecurity professional focused on GRC, security culture, awareness training and program development.  Hosted by:  Jo Peterson  CIO, Clarify360 | Chief Analyst, ClearTech Research  Episode Quote:  “That path starts with a passionate return to the fundamentals of cybersecurity.” — Marcus Cylar  🎧 Listen: In Buzzsprout Player ▶ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ClearTechResearch/videos 📰 Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

    AI Agents Are New. The Security Fundamentals Are Not

  8. Jul 21

    Can AI Agents Earn Your Trust? Elliott Mattice on AI Governance

    What if an AI agent had to earn—and keep—its access based on how it behaved?  In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Elliott Mattice, founder of Exprima, to examine trust as the missing operating layer between AI security and AI governance.  Traditional controls can define an agent’s identity and permissions. Governance frameworks can establish policies and accountability. Elliott argues that organizations still need something in the middle: continuous behavioral trust that can raise, lower or revoke an agent’s access based on what it actually does.  Jo and Elliott discuss why accountability must still land with a human, how organizations can balance useful autonomy against unrestrained risk and why an MCP server could function as an enforcement point—not merely a bridge to enterprise tools and data.  The agent does not need to feel guilty when it crosses a boundary. The systems around it need the authority to say no.  What We Cover  Why policies and technical guardrails are not enough to operationalize AI governance How behavioral trust could be continuously measured and tied to access Why human accountability remains necessary when an agent takes an unauthorized action How MCP servers could evaluate identity, permissions and current trust before granting access Why autonomy is both the value of an AI agent and the source of its risk What an agent may need to do to rebuild trust after crossing a boundary Featured Soundbite  “We can give AI enough room to be independent, to be autonomous, as long as we hold it accountable for its outputs.” — Elliott Mattice  Guest  Elliott Mattice is the founder of Exprima, an advisory and consulting firm focused on cybersecurity compliance, federal procurement risk and decision realism. He has more than 25 years of experience across federal IT operations, cybersecurity, compliance and regulated environments.  Guest website: https://elliottmattice.work/  Host  Jo Peterson is the CIO of Clarify360 and Chief Analyst at ClearTech Research.    Full episode webpage: https://cleartechresearch.com/cleartech-loop-elliot-mattice-on-ai-governance-missing-trust-layer/ Subscribe to ClearTech Loop: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/  Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ClearTechResearch  Topics  AI governance, agentic AI, behavioral trust, AI agent accountability, MCP security, non-human identity, AI access control, defense in depth, AI risk management  Tags / Keywords  AI governance; agentic AI security; behavioral trust; AI agents; MCP servers; AI accountability; non-human identity; cybersecurity governance; autonomous agents; ClearTech Loop; Elliott Mattice; Jo Peterson  🎧 Listen: In Buzzsprout Player ▶ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ClearTechResearch/videos 📰 Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

    Can AI Agents Earn Your Trust? Elliott Mattice on AI Governance
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About

Season 2 of ClearTech Loop is built around three questions:  How is AI changing the way organizations think about risk?  What does stronger cybersecurity leadership look like right now?  How should leaders rethink cloud strategy as business and technology keep shifting? Hosted by Jo Peterson, Chief Analyst at ClearTech Research, ClearTech Loop is a fast, focused podcast covering AI, cybersecurity, and cloud risk through a business leadership lens.  Each 10-15 minute episode explores the issues shaping modern technology strategy and the decisions leaders cannot afford to ignore. From governance and resilience to infrastructure change and emerging risk, ClearTech Loop helps leaders make sense of what is shifting, what matters most, and what comes next.

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