Transparent cybersecurity is fast becoming a non-negotiable priority in the face of expanding attack surfaces, AI-powered threats and increasingly complex tech stacks. At this week’s RSAC Conference, it became clear that hype alone won’t cut it — security strategies must now be built on transparency, process discipline and actionable data.

As enterprise security systems grow more distributed and layered, the path to transparent cybersecurity must be mapped with precision across the full stack, according to Mike Nichols (pictured), vice president of product management at Elasticsearch B.V.

“I think from doing a lot of software in different businesses for a long time, I always say to people, the first thing is, probably invest in your process first,” Nichols said. “Maybe it’s blasphemous to hear a product person say that, from a software vendor. Training your team on how to use the products, giving them the time and space to actually use them properly, it makes a big difference.”

Nichols spoke with theCUBE’s Jackie McGuire at the RSAC 2025 Conference, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed Elastic’s focus on process, transparency and actionable data unlocking the simplicity security teams need to finally get ahead. (* Disclosure below.)

Transparent cybersecurity overcomes tooling and personnel friction

Forty percent of security information and event management implementations fail, not due to bad technology, but because of poor process, inadequate training or mismatched tools, according to Nichols. Elastic answers this nuanced problem with its Automatic Migration capability. Leveraging AI — specifically, retrieval-augmented generation — it translates old SIM content, such as detection rules and queries, into Elastic’s framework, all while showing the user how and why it made those changes.

“The biggest piece of it, Elastic being an open-source company and being very transparent, was to show your work side,” Nichols said. “It explains to you why it does what it does and helps to give you that confidence that it’s making the right switches.”

Unlike legacy systems that provide little insight into decision-making, Elastic’s approach explains every action, reinforcing confidence among analysts. As AI gets embedded deeper into daily tools, understanding its decision logic is essential. This is because transparent cybersecurity demands trust, and AI is often inherently met with skepticism.

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the RSAC 2025 Conference event:

(* Disclosure: Elasticsearch B.V. sponsored this segment of theCUBE. Neither Elastic nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE