AI-native cybersecurity requires defenses that can keep pace with attackers while protecting infrastructure that never stops running. That challenge is bringing security expertise and specialized computing closer together, with automation embedded throughout the systems enterprises use to train and run models.

CrowdStrike’s fastest observed eCrime attacker breakout time in 2025 was 27 seconds, underscoring the urgency of faster response, according to Bartley Richardson (pictured, left), chief of AI at CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. Meeting that challenge requires computing capacity for both training and inference.

“You can’t have humans combat this alone,” he said. “You need machine-speed defense, and that relies on critical infrastructure.”

Richardson and Jim Higgins (right), chief information security officer of CoreWeave Inc., spoke with theCUBE Research’s Dave Vellante and John Furrier at the Fully Connected event, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed machine-speed defense, infrastructure-level security and operational trust. (* Disclosure below.)

Cyber models turn attacks into training data

The partnership combines CrowdStrike’s security data and adversary expertise with CoreWeave’s infrastructure capabilities. CoreWeave supplies training and inference capacity for SafeMind and serves as a design partner for CrowdStrike’s Cyber Superintelligence Lab, according to the company.

“The name of the game … is adversarial co-evolution, which is a fancy way of saying, ‘We train and we steer the best offensive capabilities to attack, to find ways around defensive operations,’” Richardson said. “But then, we train these defensive models on large-scale infrastructure to learn from those attacks.”

CoreWeave must strengthen security while keeping its production systems running. That requires integrating protective measures into ongoing operations, according to Higgins.

“That’s what I refer to as the aikido of the security problem,” he said. “Anything that I can do to affect security while the machine is running and use its own energy to promote the security needs is exactly what I do. Using AI to support and scan my code is incredibly important, but also to be in the [continuous integration and continuous delivery] pipeline to use automation to fix misconfigurations.”

AI-native cybersecurity still starts with the basics

Attackers work within budgets and time limits, making the easiest route into an environment an attractive target. Combining several ordinary weaknesses can give them that opening, according to Higgins.

“When you say something is secure, test it and test it often to be sure, but also do the basics,” he said. “Patch your stuff and continually test and monitor for those issues.”

CrowdStrike is investing in automation to support continuous security operations. Those capabilities must earn the confidence of both CoreWeave and its customers, according to Richardson.

“People ask, ‘When do we get to the end of AI?’ And I say, ‘Never,’” he said. “And then I tell them, ‘It’s because it’s AI until you trust it. Then you start to think of it as automation.’ As we make our investment into AI that’s always on, what’s so important for us is how trust is built into the system.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the Fully Connected event:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the Fully Connected event. Neither CoreWeave, the sponsor of theCUBE’s coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over the content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE