How AI Augments the Future of Autonomous Cybersecurity
On the 24th episode of Enterprise AI Defenders, hosts Evan Reiser and Mike Britton, both executives at Abnormal Security, talk with Matt Modica, Chief Information Security Officer at DXC. DXC is a global IT services leader, providing infrastructure, consulting, and cybersecurity solutions for nearly half of the Fortune 500. With 125,000 employees operating across 70 countries, DXC delivers a vast portfolio of managed services. Securing both its own infrastructure and customer environments, DXC must defend against a rapidly evolving threat landscape while ensuring seamless global operations. In this conversation, Michael discusses how DXC manages its massive attack surface, the role of AI in automating SOCs, threat hunting & vulnerability management, and the future of AI-enhanced cybersecurity.
As a global technology provider, DXC operates on an enormous scale, with customers across the automotive, healthcare, and aviation industries. This makes cybersecurity far more complex than in a traditional enterprise environment, where security teams primarily focus on protecting internal systems. As Michael explains, "We have one of the largest IP address spaces in the world...Attack surface management isn't just a buzzword; that means something here." Unlike a typical CISO, Michael doesn't just secure DXC's internal infrastructure; he also oversees the security of DXC's customer environments. That includes data centers, shared services, and cloud platforms with different security risks and regulatory requirements. "Reputational protection doesn't stop at the demarcation line," he says. "If we're managing their environments, our security failures become their security failures." This means risk assessment is about more than data loss or system vulnerabilities; it requires protecting DXC's brand and ensuring trust with customers at a global scale.
While new trends in technology are forming, Michael sees AI as both a challenge and a solution for cybersecurity. Attackers are already using AI to create more realistic phishing emails, deepfake videos, and fake messages that are harder to detect. "You can't train people to look for the misspellings anymore. It just doesn't happen. They speak like your CEO; they speak like your CFO. The deepfakes are coming as well." Because of this, Michael says the only way to stop AI-powered attacks is to use AI-powered defenses. "You've got to fight AI with AI," he explains. He believes the future of security will include fully automated systems that detect and stop threats in real-time without needing humans to review every risk. While many current security tools only use AI for basic tasks like chatbots, Michael sees a future where AI-powered security systems work across different company areas, like finance and IT, to detect fraud and security threats before they happen.
With AI changing cybersecurity, security leaders must also change how they work. Michael says that in the past, many security teams were known as the "force of no" for blocking new technologies due to security risks. But today's security leaders must embrace innovation instead of fearing it. At DXC, that means allowing employees to experiment with AI while ensuring strong security controls are in place. "The worst thing I could do as a global CISO is tell people to 'stop experimenting with that, stop innovating' and put up a blocker," he says. Michael also believes security education needs to improve. He says that instead of punishing employees for failing phishing tests, companies should use AI-driven training and real-world simulations and reward employees for smart security decisions. "I think more testing is better. Less punitive is better, and more rewards and incentive-based is better. So, we can use AI to test a broader swath of the environment. We can use AI to live in the attacker's space and test them through different channels. And then we can choose the opportunity to educate but also incentivize." Finally, he encourages CISOs to stay updated with new security trends by working with other industry experts. "Don't use busyness as an excuse. We're all busy. And one thing that needs to be in your time management planning is making sure you understand what's coming around the corner." he says.
As AI reshapes cybersecurity, Michael warns that organizations must rethink security policies and frameworks to keep pace with evolving threats. AI-generated attacks are advancing rapidly, making traditional security models outdated and requiring a more adaptive approach to governance and compliance. Companies that modernize their security strategies to account for AI-driven risks and defenses will be better positioned to protect their infrastructure and data. Security leaders who embrace automation and integrate AI into their operations will be the ones who create stronger, more resilient teams capable of handling the next wave of cyber challenges. Michael's vision for the future is clear: cybersecurity will belong to the organizations that evolve alongside AI, continuously adapting their defenses, policies, and workforce to stay ahead of an increasingly sophisticated threat landscape. Those who resist change risk falling behind, but those who innovate, automate, and invest in AI-driven security will lead the future.
Listen to Michael's episode here and read the transcript here.
