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Tech Disruptors

Amazon CSO on Developing Cybersecurity Built for the Gen-AI Age

Apr 3, 2025
In this insightful discussion, Steve Schmidt, Amazon's Chief Security Officer, emphasizes that security is fundamentally a people and culture issue, not just a technology problem. He delves into the cybersecurity landscape in the age of generative AI, highlighting the risks of both open-source and proprietary technologies. Schmidt also tackles the diverse motivations of cyber threat actors and stresses the importance of building a proactive security culture across organizations. Additionally, he addresses the urgent need for skilled cybersecurity professionals and innovative solutions like AI to enhance decision-making.
46:19

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Security challenges at Amazon vary across units, highlighting the need for tailored approaches to meet diverse customer requirements.
  • AI significantly enhances Amazon's cybersecurity by improving threat detection and automating repetitive tasks, emphasizing the necessity of human oversight.

Deep dives

Role of Security at Amazon

The speaker emphasizes the comprehensive security responsibilities held by the Chief Security Officer at Amazon, encompassing both physical and logical security. This role involves protecting the data entrusted to Amazon by its customers and ensuring secure experiences for shoppers throughout various stages of interaction. The importance of security is highlighted by the deployment of a global threat intelligence system called MadPot, which tracks around a billion potential threat interactions daily, showcasing the scale and complexity involved in safeguarding the company's operations. Such measures underline the commitment to exceeding customer expectations with respect to data privacy and security.

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