A slowing U.S. economy has taken a brutal toll on cybersecurity companies. A deteriorating economic environment has resulted in cutbacks in security spending, rising interest rates have placed pressure on venture-backed start-ups and many cybersecurity firms have conducted lay-offs. On this episode of Safe Mode, Roger Thornton, a cybersecurity-focused venture capitalist and a partner at Ballistic Ventures sits down with Senior Editor Elias Groll to discuss the investment climate for cybersecurity start-ups, the state of the broader industry and how the AI revolution is affecting both big and small players in the security field. CyberScoop reporter Tonya Riley also joins the show to discuss an interesting new consumer privacy measure in California and recent revelations about how Elon Musk’s acquisition of what was Twitter and is now known as X Corp. resulted in deteriorating privacy practices at the platform.