Ep 105: AI Agents & Cybersecurity: Identity, Compliance, and the New Risks Facing IT and OT

AI agents are changing cybersecurity faster than most organizations can adapt.

In this episode of Protect It All, host Aaron Crow welcomes back cybersecurity veteran Ken Foster for a deep dive into how AI is reshaping risk, identity, and resilience across IT and OT environments.

With more than 30 years of experience spanning the Navy, manufacturing, fintech, government programs, and startups, Ken brings a grounded, real-world perspective on what organizations are getting right and dangerously wrong about AI adoption.

Together, Aaron and Ken explore the growing challenges around AI agents, identity governance, shadow AI, compliance, and attribution in highly regulated industries. As AI tools become embedded into workflows and decision-making, organizations must rethink how they manage access, monitor activity, and maintain resilience against rapidly evolving threats.

You’ll learn:

Why AI agents introduce new identity and governance risks
The dangers of shadow AI inside enterprise environments
How AI impacts compliance, attribution, and accountability
Why foundational practices like patching, segmentation, and documentation still matter
The role of continuous monitoring in AI-driven environments
How organizations can balance innovation with resilience and control

Whether you’re leading cybersecurity strategy, managing critical infrastructure, or navigating AI adoption inside regulated environments, this episode delivers practical insights for securing the next generation of digital operations.

Tune in to learn how AI is transforming cybersecurity - and what leaders must do to stay ahead - only on Protect It All.

Key Moments:

07:47 AI guardrails discussion

12:02 Patching and network segmentation

20:44 AI changing job roles

24:24 FISMA and FedRAMP concerns

29:18 Emergency response planning

35:36 Choosing the right tech team

37:14 Discussing accountability and risk

46:31 Developer access problems

51:50 AI Dependence Risks

57:36 AI in pen testing

58:55 AI in risk prevention

About the guest :

Ken Foster is a veteran cybersecurity leader with 25+ years of experience in enterprise security, risk governance, and global infrastructure strategy. Currently Head of Global Architecture at Adient, Ken has previously led cybersecurity and compliance programs at Fleetcor and Fiserv, specializing in IAM, cloud security, regulatory compliance, and risk-based cybersecurity strategy. He is known for helping organizations balance innovation, resilience, and operational execution in highly regulated environments.

How to connect Ken: http://linkedin.com/in/kennethfoster/

Connect With Aaron Crow: