https://simplecast.com Security Or Else! Security or Else! cuts through the hype in cybersecurity and AI to spotlight what the IT channel should be focusing on next. Hosted by CRN's Kyle Alspach. 2026 The Channel Company en Mon, 21 Sep 2026 16:30:46 +0000 Mon, 21 Sep 2026 16:30:57 +0000 https://security-or-else.simplecast.com Security Or Else! https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/d8d2c575-f50b-49d6-a078-d010bbcef4cc/103d134e-ae4c-4576-b92c-c3f58a42f078/3000x3000/crn26-securityorelse-podcast-logo-simplecast-20thumbnail.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://security-or-else.simplecast.com episodic Security or Else! cuts through the hype in cybersecurity and AI to spotlight what the IT channel should be focusing on next. Hosted by CRN's Kyle Alspach. Kyle Alspach false https://feeds.simplecast.com/4V68NY8t ai,artificial intelligence,ciso,cyber risk,cybersecurity,it channel,it leaders,msp,mssp CRN cowen@thechannelcompany.com 2719d8f1-e8a8-434e-b59b-6d28f4742aa9 The Truth About Rogue Agents — with SailPoint CEO Mark McClain Mon, 21 Sep 2026 16:30:46 +0000 cowen@thechannelcompany.com (CRN) https://security-or-else.simplecast.com/episodes/the-truth-about-rogue-agents-with-sailpoint-ceo-mark-mcclain-ginPDrc0 The Truth About Rogue Agents — with SailPoint CEO Mark McClain CRN 00:23:39 When an AI agent can take “thousands of actions in a second,” it’s pivotal that defenders “think differently” about cybersecurity, says SailPoint Founder and CEO Mark McClain. For the latest episode of the Security or Else! podcast series, McClain, a luminary of the cybersecurity industry and longtime leader of identity security powerhouse SailPoint, spoke with CRN Senior Editor Kyle Alspach about how AI agents are changing identity security—and why organizations need automated responses to counter attacks unfolding at unprecedented speed. “That's the danger of agents—an agent can take thousands of actions in a second because it's a program,” McClain says. “Humans can't hit the keyboard a thousand times in a second. So no matter what, if a human's gone rogue, there's only so much damage they can do in a limited amount of time.” On the other hand, for agents that can attack with “automation and machine speed, [that’s a] completely different calculus on how rapidly bad things can unfold,” he says. “It’s going to cause us to think differently about things like automated response [and] remediation. How fast can you respond? How fast can you remediate?” Please like, subscribe and follow Security or Else! for more conversations about what’s hype and what’s real—and what channel partners should focus on next in security and AI. When an AI agent can take “thousands of actions in a second,” it’s pivotal that defenders “think differently” about cybersecurity, says SailPoint Founder and CEO Mark McClain. For the latest episode of the Security or Else! podcast series, McClain, a luminary of the cybersecurity industry and longtime leader of identity security powerhouse SailPoint, spoke with CRN Senior Editor Kyle Alspach about how AI agents are changing identity security—and why organizations need automated responses to counter attacks unfolding at unprecedented speed. “That's the danger of agents—an agent can take thousands of actions in a second because it's a program,” McClain says. “Humans can't hit the keyboard a thousand times in a second. So no matter what, if a human's gone rogue, there's only so much damage they can do in a limited amount of time.” On the other hand, for agents that can attack with “automation and machine speed, [that’s a] completely different calculus on how rapidly bad things can unfold,” he says. “It’s going to cause us to think differently about things like automated response [and] remediation. How fast can you respond? How fast can you remediate?” Please like, subscribe and follow Security or Else! for more conversations about what’s hype and what’s real—and what channel partners should focus on next in security and AI. agentic ai, automated response, ai security, agentic security, sailpoint, cybersecurity channel, identity governance, non-human identities, identity security, cybersecurity, ai agents, crn, security or else, identity and access management, cybersecurity podcast, ai guardrails, kyle alspach, mssp, shadow ai, mark mcclain, ai kill switch, incident response, iam, rogue ai agents, managed security services, msp false full 6 c0f4195b-67fb-44e3-bb17-3c0e95687c22 An AI Security Warning From CISOs — with Cyderes CEO Chris Schueler Wed, 9 Sep 2026 14:56:55 +0000 cowen@thechannelcompany.com (CRN) https://security-or-else.simplecast.com/episodes/an-ai-security-warning-from-cisos-with-cyderes-ceo-chris-schueler-zuF1GLdl An AI Security Warning From CISOs — with Cyderes CEO Chris Schueler CRN 00:23:38 While AI adoption continues to accelerate across the industry, Cyderes CEO Chris Schueler has been hearing from many CISOs who are being asked to secure AI without being given *any* additional budget. For the latest episode of the Security or Else! podcast series, Schueler spoke with CRN Senior Editor Kyle Alspach about why he's concerned about the gap between AI investment and AI security spending. “Not one CISO, not one, has told me they've gotten any incremental budget to secure AI,” he says. “That to me is the biggest, scariest thing that I've ever seen.” Meanwhile, Schueler believes that the Security Operations Center (SOC) is poised to see an “absolute renaissance” over the next two years, with AI and agentic capabilities eliminating much of the repetitive work facing security analysts—while also potentially leading to a surge in threat actor activity that must be protected against. Along with running MSSP powerhouse Cyderes, Schueler brings a deep history in security operations to the issue, having built the first SOC for the U.S. Army during his military service. Ultimately, the transition to AI-powered security operations, now underway, should only create greater opportunities for SOC analysts going forward, Schueler said. “I tell my own team this—[that] if you’re a SOC analyst today, there is no better place to be. None,” he said. Please like, subscribe and follow Security or Else! for more conversations about what’s hype and what’s real—and what channel partners should focus on next in security and AI. While AI adoption continues to accelerate across the industry, Cyderes CEO Chris Schueler has been hearing from many CISOs who are being asked to secure AI without being given *any* additional budget. For the latest episode of the Security or Else! podcast series, Schueler spoke with CRN Senior Editor Kyle Alspach about why he's concerned about the gap between AI investment and AI security spending. “Not one CISO, not one, has told me they've gotten any incremental budget to secure AI,” he says. “That to me is the biggest, scariest thing that I've ever seen.” Meanwhile, Schueler believes that the Security Operations Center (SOC) is poised to see an “absolute renaissance” over the next two years, with AI and agentic capabilities eliminating much of the repetitive work facing security analysts—while also potentially leading to a surge in threat actor activity that must be protected against. Along with running MSSP powerhouse Cyderes, Schueler brings a deep history in security operations to the issue, having built the first SOC for the U.S. Army during his military service. Ultimately, the transition to AI-powered security operations, now underway, should only create greater opportunities for SOC analysts going forward, Schueler said. “I tell my own team this—[that] if you’re a SOC analyst today, there is no better place to be. None,” he said. Please like, subscribe and follow Security or Else! for more conversations about what’s hype and what’s real—and what channel partners should focus on next in security and AI. tech news, ai security risks, ai security, agentic security, ai risk, ai cybersecurity, ai threats, security operations center, ai budget, ai governance, frontier ai, soc, ciso, crn, security or else, agentic soc, cybersecurity podcast, kyle alspach, mssp, ai adoption, chris schueler, security leadership, chief information security officer, cyderes, soc analyst, managed security services false full 5 87929452-220c-4fc9-afdd-c9cd6ed42f8a An Antidote to Frontier AI Anxiety — with CrowdStrike’s Daniel Bernard Tue, 25 Aug 2026 13:44:50 +0000 cowen@thechannelcompany.com (CRN) https://security-or-else.simplecast.com/episodes/an-antidote-to-frontier-ai-anxiety-with-crowdstrikes-daniel-bernard-4wcSjkTa An Antidote to Frontier AI Anxiety — with CrowdStrike’s Daniel Bernard CRN 00:27:22 Even as frontier AI creates new levels of urgency—and anxiety—around cybersecurity, the only reasonable answer is for vendors and partners to come together and mobilize to meet the challenge, according to CrowdStrike Chief Business Officer Daniel Bernard. For the latest episode of CRN’s Security or Else! podcast series, Bernard spoke with CRN Senior Editor Kyle Alspach about why anxiety alone accomplishes nothing. The industry needs to mobilize, collaborate and take concrete steps to reduce risk, he says. Bernard discussed the “Mythos moment”—triggered earlier this year with the disclosure of details about Anthropic’s Claude Mythos model for vulnerability discovery—as well as the emergence of AI agents as a new attack vector and why cybersecurity has become inseparable from AI adoption. Bernard also explains how CrowdStrike’s Project Quiltworks brings together technology vendors with solution and service provider partners to more quickly discover and remediate vulnerabilities. Please like, subscribe and follow Security or Else! for more conversations about what’s hype and what’s real—and what channel partners should focus on next in security and AI. Even as frontier AI creates new levels of urgency—and anxiety—around cybersecurity, the only reasonable answer is for vendors and partners to come together and mobilize to meet the challenge, according to CrowdStrike Chief Business Officer Daniel Bernard. For the latest episode of CRN’s Security or Else! podcast series, Bernard spoke with CRN Senior Editor Kyle Alspach about why anxiety alone accomplishes nothing. The industry needs to mobilize, collaborate and take concrete steps to reduce risk, he says. Bernard discussed the “Mythos moment”—triggered earlier this year with the disclosure of details about Anthropic’s Claude Mythos model for vulnerability discovery—as well as the emergence of AI agents as a new attack vector and why cybersecurity has become inseparable from AI adoption. Bernard also explains how CrowdStrike’s Project Quiltworks brings together technology vendors with solution and service provider partners to more quickly discover and remediate vulnerabilities. Please like, subscribe and follow Security or Else! for more conversations about what’s hype and what’s real—and what channel partners should focus on next in security and AI. crowdstrike, cybersecurity, frontier ai, crn, security or else, mythos, security, anthropic, ai false full 4 96005447-8063-49b1-aba1-1135a2c1efbd Autonomous Hacking Is Here. How To Fight Back — with Huntress CEO Kyle Hanslovan When it comes to the fight against AI-powered hacking, “we've all been drafted—whether we like it or not,” says Huntress co-founder and CEO Kyle Hanslovan.

CRN senior editor Kyle Alspach spoke with Hanslovan for episode 3 of CRN’s new Security or Else! podcast series. Hanslovan discussed OpenAI’s disclosure that some of its AI agents had gone rogue during a test and compromised AI platform Hugging Face.

Hanslovan also explained why cyber defense, going forward, will require rapid response enabled by AI to keep up with the rise of autonomous hacking and other accelerating threats. He also offered his first-hand perspective from the 2021 Microsoft Exchange attacks and why the industry needs to see deeper collaboration among vendors, partners and law enforcement. Meanwhile, Hanslovan also reflected on Huntress’ recent crossing of $250 million in annual recurring revenue—and why protecting the “99 percent” matters more than the milestone itself.

Please like, subscribe and follow Security or Else! for more conversations about what’s hype and what’s real—and what channel partners should focus on next in security and AI.


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]]> Mon, 10 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000 cowen@thechannelcompany.com (Kyle Alspach) https://security-or-else.simplecast.com/episodes/the-ai-adversary-is-here-time-for-battle-K8GJS4ys When it comes to the fight against AI-powered hacking, “we've all been drafted—whether we like it or not,” says Huntress co-founder and CEO Kyle Hanslovan.

CRN senior editor Kyle Alspach spoke with Hanslovan for episode 3 of CRN’s new Security or Else! podcast series. Hanslovan discussed OpenAI’s disclosure that some of its AI agents had gone rogue during a test and compromised AI platform Hugging Face.

Hanslovan also explained why cyber defense, going forward, will require rapid response enabled by AI to keep up with the rise of autonomous hacking and other accelerating threats. He also offered his first-hand perspective from the 2021 Microsoft Exchange attacks and why the industry needs to see deeper collaboration among vendors, partners and law enforcement. Meanwhile, Hanslovan also reflected on Huntress’ recent crossing of $250 million in annual recurring revenue—and why protecting the “99 percent” matters more than the milestone itself.

Please like, subscribe and follow Security or Else! for more conversations about what’s hype and what’s real—and what channel partners should focus on next in security and AI.


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]]> Autonomous Hacking Is Here. How To Fight Back — with Huntress CEO Kyle Hanslovan Kyle Alspach 00:26:39 When it comes to the fight against AI-powered hacking, “we've all been drafted—whether we like it or not,” says Huntress co-founder and CEO Kyle Hanslovan. In CRN’s Security or Else! podcast, Hanslovan discusses OpenAI's disclosure that AI agents went rogue during testing, the lessons learned from the 2021 Microsoft Exchange attacks, and why AI-driven rapid response will be critical for future cyber defense. He also explains why stronger collaboration between vendors, partners, and law enforcement is essential, while emphasizing that Huntress' mission to protect underserved organizations matters more than its recent milestone of surpassing $250 million in annual recurring revenue. When it comes to the fight against AI-powered hacking, “we've all been drafted—whether we like it or not,” says Huntress co-founder and CEO Kyle Hanslovan. In CRN’s Security or Else! podcast, Hanslovan discusses OpenAI's disclosure that AI agents went rogue during testing, the lessons learned from the 2021 Microsoft Exchange attacks, and why AI-driven rapid response will be critical for future cyber defense. He also explains why stronger collaboration between vendors, partners, and law enforcement is essential, while emphasizing that Huntress' mission to protect underserved organizations matters more than its recent milestone of surpassing $250 million in annual recurring revenue. cybersecurity, crn, hacking, ai false full 3 e48ac787-dceb-4da4-8373-93e6cdafeec4 AI vs. Humans Is the Wrong Cybersecurity Debate — with Noma Security CISO Diana Kelley Framing the future of cybersecurity as a choice between AI and humans misses the point, according to Noma Security CISO Diana Kelley.

CRN senior editor Kyle Alspach spoke with Kelley for episode 2 of CRN’s new Security or Else! podcast series. Kelley discussed why finding the right balance between AI and humans—not choosing between them—will be so critical to cybersecurity going forward. This is especially the case as attackers are already using AI to automate attacks, find vulnerabilities and lower the technical barrier to entry—requiring defenders to adopt the same tools while keeping humans involved in the decisions that matter most, Kelley says.


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]]> Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000 cowen@thechannelcompany.com (Kyle Alspach) https://security-or-else.simplecast.com/episodes/ai-vs-humans-is-the-wrong-cybersecurity-debate-kMrgGXp3 Framing the future of cybersecurity as a choice between AI and humans misses the point, according to Noma Security CISO Diana Kelley.

CRN senior editor Kyle Alspach spoke with Kelley for episode 2 of CRN’s new Security or Else! podcast series. Kelley discussed why finding the right balance between AI and humans—not choosing between them—will be so critical to cybersecurity going forward. This is especially the case as attackers are already using AI to automate attacks, find vulnerabilities and lower the technical barrier to entry—requiring defenders to adopt the same tools while keeping humans involved in the decisions that matter most, Kelley says.


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]]> AI vs. Humans Is the Wrong Cybersecurity Debate — with Noma Security CISO Diana Kelley Kyle Alspach 00:17:46 In this episode of Security or Else!, Diana Kelley, CISO of Noma Security, argues that the future of cybersecurity is not a question of choosing AI or human expertise, but finding the right balance between the two. As both sides of the field build their AI repertoire, critical decisions still require a human touch. In this episode of Security or Else!, Diana Kelley, CISO of Noma Security, argues that the future of cybersecurity is not a question of choosing AI or human expertise, but finding the right balance between the two. As both sides of the field build their AI repertoire, critical decisions still require a human touch. cybersecurity, crn, ai false full 2 4c280b00-5a3e-494b-978b-846e5d8c6242 This AI Security Strategy Is Destined To Fail — with ThreatLocker CEO Danny Jenkins “Fighting AI with AI” is not a winning security strategy, according to ThreatLocker CEO Danny Jenkins.

CRN senior editor Kyle Alspach spoke with Danny Jenkins for this inaugural episode of CRN’s new Security or Else! podcast series. Jenkins discussed the risk to the industry when AI-powered security tools are overhyped, to the detriment of fundamental controls such as zero trust security and deny-by-default policies for protecting users and data. The ThreatLocker CEO also spoke about the massive increase in software vulnerabilities and where MSPs can find the biggest opportunities to secure their customers in an intensifying threat environment.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to ThreatLocker and Zero Trust Principles

03:06 The Current State of Cybersecurity and AI Threats

05:49 The Role of MSPs in Cybersecurity

09:08 AI in Cybersecurity: Myths and Realities

11:54 Finding the Right Balance: AI and Human Oversight

14:52 Addressing Vulnerabilities and Security Basics

17:46 The Importance of Zero Trust and Application Allowlisting

21:03 Future Outlook: Progress in Cybersecurity Practices

24:09 Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways

 


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]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2026 18:10:15 +0000 cowen@thechannelcompany.com (Kyle Alspach) https://security-or-else.simplecast.com/episodes/this-ai-security-strategy-is-destined-to-fail-9QOyk3bh “Fighting AI with AI” is not a winning security strategy, according to ThreatLocker CEO Danny Jenkins.

CRN senior editor Kyle Alspach spoke with Danny Jenkins for this inaugural episode of CRN’s new Security or Else! podcast series. Jenkins discussed the risk to the industry when AI-powered security tools are overhyped, to the detriment of fundamental controls such as zero trust security and deny-by-default policies for protecting users and data. The ThreatLocker CEO also spoke about the massive increase in software vulnerabilities and where MSPs can find the biggest opportunities to secure their customers in an intensifying threat environment.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to ThreatLocker and Zero Trust Principles

03:06 The Current State of Cybersecurity and AI Threats

05:49 The Role of MSPs in Cybersecurity

09:08 AI in Cybersecurity: Myths and Realities

11:54 Finding the Right Balance: AI and Human Oversight

14:52 Addressing Vulnerabilities and Security Basics

17:46 The Importance of Zero Trust and Application Allowlisting

21:03 Future Outlook: Progress in Cybersecurity Practices

24:09 Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways

 


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

]]> This AI Security Strategy Is Destined To Fail — with ThreatLocker CEO Danny Jenkins Kyle Alspach 00:14:26 In this episode, Danny Jenkins, CEO of ThreatLocker, shares insights on the current cybersecurity landscape, how “Fighting AI with AI” is not a winning security strategy, and practical strategies for MSPs to enhance security without overcomplicating their defenses. In this episode, Danny Jenkins, CEO of ThreatLocker, shares insights on the current cybersecurity landscape, how “Fighting AI with AI” is not a winning security strategy, and practical strategies for MSPs to enhance security without overcomplicating their defenses. cybersecurity, it channel, crn, artificial intelligence, mssp, zerotrust false full 1