Screaming in the Cloud

The Current State of Cloud Security with Crystal Morin

Mar 18, 2025

Crystal Morin, a Cybersecurity Strategist at Sysdig with over 10 years in threat analysis, joins to explore the latest cloud security trends. They dive into the impact of AI-driven tools like Sysdig Sage and discuss the critical need for automated responses to cyber threats. The conversation also highlights the surge in machine identities and the challenges they present for cloud security management. Crystal emphasizes the necessity of quick detection and response in maintaining robust security amid evolving threats.

36:46

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Episode guests

Crystal Morin

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The integration of AI in cybersecurity tools like Sysdig Sage significantly enhances the speed and efficiency of incident response.

The alarming quickness of security incidents escalating to exploitation underlines the critical need for proactive automated security measures.

Deep dives

Cystic Sage: An Innovative Tool for Security

Cystic Sage serves as an invaluable resource for security teams, likened to having an expert available on-demand for clarifications. This tool streamlines the process of identifying and addressing security threats without the need for constant human intervention. Users can interact with Cystic Sage to get instant insights about their cloud environments, which assists in quickly tackling security vulnerabilities. Overall, the tool reflects the shift towards more autonomous security practices, where immediate accessibility to information enhances operational efficiency.

Intro

2min

Rapid Response: Understanding the Five by Five Benchmark in Cloud Security

2min

Rapid Response in Cloud Security

11min

Harnessing AI for Enhanced Cloud Security

2min

AI and Cloud Security: Enhancing Human Management

15min

Navigating Poorly Provisioned Identities in Cloud Security

2min

Addressing the Challenge of Machine Identities in Organizations

3min

Sysdig’s 2025 Cloud-Native and Security Usage Report is hot off the presses, and Corey has questions. On this episode, he’s joined by Crystal Morin, a Cybersecurity Strategist at Sysdig, to break down the trends of the past year. They discuss Sysdig’s approach to detecting and responding to security and the success the company has seen with the rollout of Sysdig Sage (an AI product that Corey thinks is actually useful). They also chat about what’s driving a spike in machine identities, practical hygiene in cloud environments, and the crucial importance of automated responses to maintain robust security in the face of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

Show Highlights

(0:00) Intro

(0:39) Sysdig sponsor read

(2:22) Explaining Sysdig's 5/5/5 Benchmark

(4:06) What does Sysdig's work entail?

(10:03) Cloud security trends that have changed over the last year

(14:30) Sysdig sponsor read

(15:16) How Sysdig is using AI in its security products

(19:09) How many users are adopting AI tools like Sysdig Sage

(25:51) The reality behind the recent spike of machine identities in security

(29:24) Handling the scaling of machine identities

(35:37) Where you can find Sysdig's 2025 Cloud-Native and Security Usage Report

About Crystal Morin

Crystal Morin is a Cybersecurity Strategist with more than 10 years of experience in threat analysis and research. Crystal started her career as both a Cryptologic Language Analyst and Intelligence Analyst in the United States Air Force and as a contractor for Booz Allen Hamilton, where she helped develop and evolve their cyber threat intelligence community and threat-hunting capabilities. In 2022, Crystal joined Sysdig as a Threat Research Engineer on the Sysdig Threat Research Team, where she worked to discover and analyze cyber threat actors taking advantage of the cloud. Today, Crystal bridges the gap between business and security through cloud-focused content for leaders and practitioners alike. Crystal’s thought leadership has been foundational for pieces such as the “2024 Cloud-Native Security and Usage Report” and “Cloud vs. On-Premises: Unraveling the Mystery of the Dwell Time Disparity,” among others.

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