Cyber Power in the AI Era: Defending the Digital Battlespace Against Advanced Adversaries

Cyber is no longer a supporting function, it is a primary domain of geopolitical competition where AI is accelerating the speed, scale, and autonomy of conflict. Adversaries are already leveraging AI to penetrate critical infrastructure, manipulate information environments, and pre-position inside U.S. and allied systems, forcing a shift from preventing breaches to operating through them. In this executive conversation, Colin Mahoney (Recorded Future), Leo Taddeo (Appgate), and Gregory J. Touhill examine how AI-enabled threat intelligence, zero trust architectures, and continuous cyber operations are redefining defense, from protecting domestic infrastructure to enabling mission assurance in contested environments. Drawing on frontline experience across defense, intelligence, and enterprise, the discussion will unpack how organizations are moving from reactive security to persistent engagement, identifying adversary behavior in real time, securing distributed systems, and maintaining operational integrity under active attack, where resilience becomes deterrence and the ability to fight through the network defines strategic advantage.