In this NYSE Live interview, Vineet Edupuganti, Co-Founder and CEO of Cogent Security, discusses how artificial intelligence is transforming cybersecurity, accelerating vulnerability discovery, and creating new challenges for enterprise risk management.

Kristen Scholer spoke with Edupuganti about AI-driven cyber threats, vulnerability remediation, security automation, autonomous defense systems, and the evolving role of cybersecurity teams.

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on PHP to Shell, a recently identified vulnerability issue affecting software relied upon by organizations worldwide. Edupuganti explains how advances in AI-assisted analysis enabled researchers to uncover vulnerabilities that had remained undetected for extended periods.

The interview also explores the growing role of artificial intelligence in offensive cybersecurity. AI tools are enabling attackers to identify weaknesses, automate exploitation efforts, and conduct sophisticated campaigns with greater efficiency than traditional methods.

Another major theme is the increasing pressure on enterprise security teams. Edupuganti argues that many organizations continue using workflows and processes designed for earlier generations of cybersecurity threats despite facing vastly different attack volumes and complexity today.

The conversation further examines vulnerability management and the challenges organizations face when deploying security updates. While patches can reduce risk, implementing them often requires balancing system stability, operational continuity, and security priorities.

The interview also highlights the growing gap between attack speed and defensive response. As attackers automate more activities using AI, organizations may need to adopt similar technologies to maintain effective security postures.

Another key topic is Cogent Security's vision of cyber defense as a factory, where AI-powered systems automate analysis, prioritization, remediation, and response processes in a coordinated and scalable manner.

Additionally, Edupuganti discusses the use of AI agents in cybersecurity operations. These systems can help organizations process large amounts of information, identify critical risks, and execute defensive actions more rapidly than manual workflows alone.

The discussion also explores concerns around autonomous decision-making. Rather than immediately removing humans from the process, Edupuganti advocates for a gradual approach that combines automation with governance and oversight.

The conversation further addresses the concept of governed autonomy, allowing organizations to control where AI operates independently while maintaining human supervision in sensitive environments.

Looking ahead, Edupuganti expects AI-driven vulnerability discovery and cyber threats to continue increasing, making speed, automation, and operational scalability increasingly important components of effective cybersecurity programs.

Throughout the discussion, Edupuganti shares perspectives on artificial intelligence, enterprise cybersecurity, autonomous systems, vulnerability management, risk mitigation, cyber resilience, AI agents, software security, security operations, and digital transformation.

Disclaimer: Informational content only. NYSE does not endorse or recommend investments, strategies, companies, products, or services discussed.