Rooted in Security: What’s really happening in AI and cybersecurity

Session 2 of Rooted in Security brought together a group of female cybersecurity leaders for an open conversation around AI, security, and the realities teams are facing today.

 

Led by Stephanie Zavala, Principal Consultant here at Lawrence Harvey, the session focused on creating a space for honest, experience-led discussion.

 

We caught up with Stephanie after the event to reflect on the key themes, standout moments, and what’s next for the Rooted community.

 

 

Can you start by giving a quick overview of Rooted in Security and what this session was about?

 

Rooted in Security: Session 2 was a discussion that if we didn’t have an end time, could go well into the next morning. This specific community of women is extremely curious, bought into helping each other and excited to have a space where they can discussing topics that are relevant in their everyday lives as cybersecurity leaders. 

Session 2 was led by Mary Kotch, a fractional CISO and C10 AI Fellow, who has experience implementing AI tools in large corporate environments. 

 

 

What were some of the main topics or themes that came up during the discussion?

 

The Zero Day clock, AI tools like Claude, Mythos and what all of these changes are doing for cybersecurity teams are just some of the topics we touched on. The group understood that guardrails are a MUST and while tools are just 1 step of the puzzle to secure your environment, the developers will need more oversight if the right guardrails aren’t in place

 

 

 

What were some of the main topics or themes that came up during the discussion?

 

While many leaders in the room are already working with AI tools, the clear takeaway is that, even with platforms like Mythos, getting executive buy-in to scale and properly secure these technologies remains a significant challenge for cybersecurity teams.

 

 

What’s next for Rooted in Security?

 

Communities like Rooted in Security create meaningful spaces where women can openly share the challenges they face among peers who truly understand and have often experienced similar situations. Those conversations are critical as there’s no such thing as a bulletproof solution, and the best outcomes come from collective insight. Next for Rooted: Session 3 is a tabletop exercise on June 25th – more details to come.