Fighting Machines with Machines: AI and the Future of Cyber Defence | EP 86 | Steve Meckl, Cyderes

In this episode of the Cyber Security Matters podcast, Harry Baldwin and Matt Rose are joined by Steve Meckl, PhD, SVP of the AI Center of Excellence at Cyderes, to explore how AI is reshaping cybersecurity and security operations. Steve shares insights from a career spanning software engineering, the FBI, Symantec, Accenture and Google Cloud, before discussing how AI and automation are changing the way security teams detect, investigate and respond to threats. The conversation explores AI-powered security operations, agentic AI, the importance of context and data, and how AI is changing the speed and scale of cyber attacks. Steve also discusses the skills cybersecurity professionals need as the industry continues to evolve, and why embracing change and becoming a constant learner are essential. In this episode, we discuss: Steve’s journey from software engineering and the FBI into cybersecurity and AI How AI is transforming security operations and incident response Using AI agents to automate repetitive L1 security triage Why context and data are critical to effective AI The opportunities and risks of agentic AI in cybersecurity How AI is changing the speed and scale of cyber attacks The skills cybersecurity professionals need as the industry evolves Why embracing change and continuous learning are essential in cybersecurity About Steve Meckl Steve Meckl, PhD, is SVP of the AI Center of Excellence at Cyderes, where he leads the application of AI to large-scale security operations. He previously spent more than a decade with the FBI, serving as a Unit Chief in the Cyber Division, and has held senior roles at Symantec, Accenture and Google Cloud. This episode is brought to you by neuco.