AI’s potential to disrupt cyber operations highlighted by cyber leaders

AI was emphasized by multiple cybersecurity leaders at RSAC 2026 to possibly unsettle cybersecurity operations, which could result in a major industry upheaval lasting about two to three years, according to CyberScoop.

Alex Stamos, Corridor's chief security officer, noted that while AI makes vulnerability discovery significantly faster, patching flaws still requires time and effort. The widening speed gap could give attackers an advantage as AI systems identify weaknesses faster than organizations can fix them. Stamos also said exploit discovery has already become "exponential," with AI uncovering flaws even in widely reviewed legacy software. Armadin founder Kevin Mandia added that autonomous AI agents can conduct network penetration at scales beyond human capability, operating simultaneously across hundreds of processes and rapidly adapting attacks once inside systems.

Security leaders also face pressure to adopt AI despite unchanged compliance requirements, creating operational strain, according to Morgan Adamski, PWC's Cyber, Data & Technology Risk business U.S. lead. The executives also said AI could help improve defense, but only if action happens now.

"Two years is the minimum if we actually start really fixing code and refactoring stuff into type-safe languages using formal methods," Stamos said.