TechTarget and Informa Tech’s Digital Business Combine. Dark Reading Resource Library Black Hat News Omdia Cybersecurity Advertise NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP Cybersecurity Topics World The Edge DR Technology Events Resources CYBERSECURITY OPERATIONS CYBER RISK CYBERSECURITY CAREERS INTERVIEWS Cybersecurity In-Depth: Feature articles on security strategy, latest trends, and people to know. Geopolitics, AI, and Cybersecurity: Insights From RSAC 2026 AI-driven threats, global leadership shifts, and the future of cybersecurity in a rapidly evolving landscape were among the discussions at RSAC 2026 Conference. Becky Bracken,Kristina Beek April 2, 2026 SOURCE: INFORMA TECHTARGET RSAC 2026 Conference offered a platform to explore the shifting landscape of cybersecurity — where geopolitics, artificial intelligence (AI), and private-sector innovation converged to address emerging threats. In this Eye on Tech interview, Dark Reading senior editor Becky Bracken joins Informa TechTarget senior executive editor Jameson Kush and managing editor Sabrina Polin to dissect the critical issues shaping the industry, from the absence of US federal government leadership at the event to the European Union's proactive approach to regulation. Their conversation highlighted the growing influence of international players in filling the leadership vacuum and underscored the urgency of collaboration in an era defined by rapid technological advancements and geopolitical uncertainty. As the cybersecurity community grapples with the transformative impact of AI, the discussion shed light on the practical challenges chief information security officers (CISOs) face in balancing innovation with risk mitigation. Bracken emphasized the increasing pressure on CISOs to navigate boardroom expectations while safeguarding their organizations against vulnerabilities introduced by AI tools. The conversation also explored the broader implications of AI-driven threats, such as adaptive malware and machine-speed attacks, which demand equally sophisticated responses from defenders. These insights painted a vivid picture of the evolving role of cybersecurity professionals in a world where adversaries are leveraging cutting-edge technologies to exploit weaknesses. Related:Ransomware Will Hit Hospitals. Rehearsals Are Key to Defense The interview also ventured into the future of cybersecurity, with predictions about the role of quantum computing and the integration of cyber capabilities into kinetic warfare. Bracken highlighted the need for organizations to prepare for quantum computing's arrival by auditing their encryption standards and developing robust policies. Meanwhile, the European Union's methodical approach to regulation, contrasted with the US administration's minimal stance, sparked debate about the long-term implications for innovation and global partnerships. As RSAC 2026 drew to a close, Bracken left viewers with a sobering yet hopeful perspective on the resilience and adaptability of the cybersecurity industry in the face of ongoing unprecedented challenges. Live from RSAC 2026: The Geopolitics of Cybersecurity: Full Transcript This transcript has been edited for clarity and length by Informa TechTarget's internal AI assistant. For the full experience, please watch the video, above. Related:How Organizations Can Use Mistakes to Level Up Their Security Programs Jameson Kush: Hello and welcome to day four, our last day of live-streaming coverage from RSAC Conference 2026. I'm Jameson Kush with Informa Tech Target. And if you missed day one, two, three, please check them out at Eye on Tech. We chatted with thought leaders from Wiz, ISACA, and other organizations, as well as the cybersecurity experts from Informa Tech Target covering the show. Please hold that thought. Joining me to once again share in hosting duties here at the desk is Sabrina Polin, senior managing editor, Informa Tech Target. Sabrina, welcome back. Sabrina Polin: Thanks for having me, Jameson. Happy to be here. JK: We're just about ready to wrap up RSAC Conference, a few more interviews, but what are your thoughts on the show? SP: I think it's really interesting. This show is definitely about the people. I think everyone we've talked to about security and especially security in the age of AI. We're talking about people — humans in the loop, on the loop, around the loop. It's just been some really interesting conversations. JK: That's right, humans at the desk, which leads us to our guest, another one of those cybersecurity experts from Informa Tech Target, Becky Bracken. She's the senior editor for Dark Reading. Becky, welcome back. Thank you for joining us. Related:Software Development Practices Help Enterprises Tackle Real-Life Risks Becky Bracken: Thank you so much. Speaking of people, it is so nice to see you guys in person instead of on screens. That's kind of the best part about all of this, huh? It's worth all the effort to get here in front of people. JK: Absolutely. I agree. Well, Becky, I wanted to follow up on the conversation we had last year because there's a lot of interesting stuff happening. I know Kristi Noem, the then-DHS secretary, was here, and there was a lot of anxiety and talk about cuts to CISA and all that. I wonder, how has that played out leading up to the conference this year? BB: Well, it's been a chaotic year. I think that's fair to say. CISA was decimated, I think, by half by DOGE cuts. Experienced technical experts were back in the office, kind of out of their normal environments, and so we were waiting to see what would roll out. Notably this year, no federal government leadership is here at RSA, which is a real departure from years past. Last year we had Kristi Noem, who was a cabinet secretary. The year before we had Anthony Blinken, then Secretary of State, and Alejandro Mayorkas, who was also Kristi Noem’s predecessor at DHS. They really prioritized being able to come here and reach out to the private sector, both for feedback on what they were doing and looking at what they need to be doing. That interaction was really prioritized, it seemed, throughout the federal government. And it wasn't just leadership; it was CISA rank-and-file. It was policymakers. It was a whole cadre of people who used to show up here from the government. This year it didn't happen. Reports from my colleagues at Cybersecurity Dive, Eric Geller, said that once RSAC hired Jen Easterly, who's our former CISA director under the Biden administration, once they hired her into a leadership role, within eight days, the entire slate of presenters from the federal government pulled out, which seems like this would be a time when they would want to be here. We're at war with a known nation state cyber actor. AI is pretty much upturning all of the tables. We've got quantum right around the corner. So there's a lot to talk about what I noticed was that the EU and our European counterparts came in to fill that gap this year, which was very interesting. It started with Dr. Richard Horn from the UK cyber center. He gave a keynote taking on vibe coding and really talked to the private sector. We know there are use cases there. We know it's going to be part of our future of code generation. However, now is the time to build in those guardrails. We cannot get sloppy with cybersecurity through vibe coding, which I think is right on time. I was also invited to Brussels at the bay, which was EU leadership. We had regulators from the EU who are now working on the EU cyber resiliency legislation, which is slated to go into effect in December 2027. The European Union obviously takes a different perspective on regulation than our current administration does. They're really out there trying to do the work of, again, engaging with the private sector. I thought it was interesting. They positioned this regulation not only on cyber resilience, but there's going to be AI regulation. They view this regulation as just rules of engagement within their borders. They're not looking at this as sort of an American knee-jerk reaction as a way to stifle innovation or they just want to have clear rules in place. They are taking feedback. They're asking for feedback from the private sector. And I think that they have showed up in greater numbers than before in an effort not only to do that, but to forge partnerships where, perhaps, their counterparts in the US government aren't there anymore or are off doing something else. So they seem to be filling in that gap this year. SP: There seems to be a geopolitical subtext here. Have these EU leaders talked about [whether] they're talking to the people in the private sector making those connections. Have they talked about the US administration? BB: I asked that when I was sitting in the front row. As a journalist, it's my job to ask the uncomfortable questions that everybody would probably not answer right after a lot of "blah blah blah" and all of the politeness. I mean, let's be honest: Trump has made it his business to be in every room, and I understand why people are reluctant to say it. I understand why people are reluctant to engage, and so I asked the EU regulators, "Who are your US counterparts anymore?" The question was, "Are we any longer a reliable partner?" There were three panelists. The head of Europol put his head down, wouldn't answer. Another regulator simply refused to answer. And the third regulator quoted the EU president, who said, "The American people will always be our friends." So we are at a point now where everybody in politics. I learned a million years ago, politicians never want to be the first person to do anything. They want to ride someone else's coattails, which is kind of counterintuitive. You would think they would want to be the guy standing up with the bold ideas. Not so much. And so I really get a sense from the cyber community that everybody's kind of just looking around waiting for someone else to say the thing. Everybody has to make