The voice of AI, Data and Innovation
About the Guest
Ayesha Mahmood
VP of Software Engineering, Zscaler
Ayesha Mahmood is a cybersecurity and AI engineering leader with deep experience building scalable, intuitive, and secure enterprise platforms. As VP of Software Engineering at Zscaler, she leads the Experience Center platform, focused on creating a unified “single pane of glass” experience for customers across security, observability, and administrative workflows. Her background spans leadership roles at Zscaler, Palo Alto Networks, and Apple, with expertise in Zero Trust, cloud security, AI, scalable systems, and user-centric engineering.
Eric Gaston
CIO Global Executive Engagement, Tanium
Erik Gaston is a senior technology transformation leader with decades of experience advising boards, CIOs, and executive teams on IT strategy, cybersecurity, autonomous IT, and business transformation. At Tanium, he leads Global Executive Engagement, helping enterprise leaders modernize fragmented operations into streamlined, automated systems tied to measurable business outcomes. His career includes leadership roles across Tanium, Morgan Stanley, and Deutsche Bank
Brief About the Episode
In this episode we unpack a critical cybersecurity question for the AI era: are enterprises trying to defend faster before they can even see what they need to defend? From unmanaged devices and shadow IT to AI-powered attacks, incomplete telemetry, Zero Trust, and lessons from major healthcare breaches, this conversation reveals why modern security is no longer just about better tools, it is about visibility, real-time data, leadership decisions, and building security into the enterprise from the start.
Key Learnings for Leaders
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AI security is only as strong as the data behind it.
If AI is trained on incomplete telemetry or outdated assumptions, it can create a false sense of security instead of reducing risk.
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Security can no longer be a bolt-on.
Cybersecurity must be built into the SDLC, architecture, identity, observability, and business workflows from the beginning not added after deployment.
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Leaders need to ask better security questions.
Instead of asking, “Are we safe?”, CIOs and CISOs should ask, “What do we look like to an attacker right now?” and build proactive readiness around that answer.
Tune in to learn how visibility, Zero Trust, real-time data, and security-first engineering can help enterprises prepare for AI-powered cyber threats.
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