AI is Reshaping Cyber – Here's Why Today's CISOs Are Tomorrow's AI Transformation Leaders

Originally posted by Intelligent Enterprise Leaders Alliance (IELA).

Traditional SOCs and MSSPs have hit a wall – cyberattacks are at an all-time high, and it’s clear that manual threat detection and response processes can’t really keep pace with today’s threats.

In cybersecurity, Agentic AI is leveling the playing field with task-specific agents that can safely automate threat investigations and response with speed and accuracy.

However, AI is redefining the role of a security leader and CISOs are at a crossroad. They can either become their organization's AI transformation leader, or the risk of losing relevance in the boardroom.

With decades in the CISO seat, I know this much: AI is too critical to leave on the sidelines. By taking the lead, you can secure the entire AI lifecycle for your organization.

But let’s be clear: this can’t be just about adding AI “copilots” to your existing workflows.

AI-first security requires foundational platform design that enables autonomous incident remediation, adaptive workflows, and intelligent threat correlation, all the while freeing your team to focus on the most complex threats.

What matters here is that security experts aren’t being replaced – they're being accelerated. They will focus on contextual evaluation, strategic threat hunting, and adversary simulation while AI handles the high-volume correlation and initial response activities.

This begs a bigger question – what is the best way to approach the “Great Agentic AI Transformation”?

How CISOs Can Own the AI Transformation

Security leaders who proactively – and securely – lead the AI transformation will define the future of cybersecurity. Here’s how I’d start:

First, invest in your own AI education.

Understanding AI's capabilities and limitations is now table stakes for security leadership. You can't make strategic decisions about technologies you don't comprehend at a tactical level.

So, attend technical briefings, understand LLM limitations, and learn to ask the right questions of vendors.

Second, develop internal AI governance frameworks that address both opportunity and risk.

Not only do CISOs have the unique cross-functional view needed to architect AI adoption organization-wide, but you also understand the technical requirements and the risk implications. 

Work cross-functionally with other departments to build clear policies for AI tool adoption, data handling, and performance measurement.

Third, choose partners with transparent AI capabilities and proven human expertise.

The partnership decision for AI-powered security platforms can't be taken lightly. Your AI transformation success depends entirely on platform architecture and vendor transparency. 

Look for vendors who can articulate their AI decision-making processes and provide clear escalation paths.

Here's your reality check: You need the same level of trust in your AI-powered platform as you do in your human analysts. This means demanding transparency in AI models, understanding which real-world data and tradecraft AI agents are trained on, and ensuring platform architecture supports both current and future agentic capabilities.

At eSentire, I believe that we’ve exemplified this approach with eSentire Atlas AI, a multi-agent GenAI system built to scale human expertise. It’s embedded across the eSentire Atlas Security Operations Platform, so it’s architected to enable AI-driven investigations and response while maintaining human trust where it matters most.

Lastly, have a clear (but realistic) vision of your AI transformation roadmap.

You’ll need to balance the potential of how deeply AI can be embedded in your systems with ensuring the security of the AI lifecycle. Although this is natural CISO territory, it requires proactive leadership.

The alternative is a reactive security posture where AI reshapes your corporate environment without your strategic input – a recipe for both security and career disaster.

The AI vision is compelling: Agentic AI is making autonomous threat detection and response possible at machine speed with human intelligence. 

But reality demands pragmatism. This balance requires trusted partners who can ensure that AI outcomes are reliable and trusted.

At eSentire, our approach demonstrates this balance: we’re building an AI-first SecOps platform, backed by human trust, that delivers transparency and adaptability at scale.

You have two choices: Lead the AI transformation or watch it transform cybersecurity without you. Those rising to this challenge will secure both their organizations and their seats at the boardroom table.

For CISOs rising to the challenge, I’ve created a readiness guide on leading the AI transformation – check it out here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Greg Crowley Chief Information Security Officer

Greg Crowley is an accomplished executive with over 20 years in Information Technology and Cybersecurity with extensive experience in managing enterprise security and mitigating risk for global hybrid networks. Greg believes that as a leader in the cyber world, being able to communicate and execute a strategic vision to defend and protect is the most important part of his role. Prior to joining eSentire, Greg oversaw the overall cybersecurity function as Vice President of Cybersecurity and Network Infrastructure at WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). He spent over 17 years in various leadership roles across engineering, infrastructure and security within that organization. Greg holds a Bachelor's degree from Queens College. He is a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).