a16z Podcast: Kevin Mandia on AI-Driven Cyber Defense in the Agentic Era

About this episode

AI is transforming cybersecurity from a human-speed battle into an autonomous arms race. In this condensed version of the a16z Podcast, Kevin Mandia joins the discussion to explain why he returned to the field with Armadin, how AI-powered attackers change the threat model, and why modern cyber defense must evolve toward machine-speed offense, detection, and response. From “hyper-attacks” that expose zero-day vulnerabilities to autonomous security controls for CISOs, the episode breaks down the future of SOC automation, AI security, network metadata, and layered defense. The conversation also touches on what it takes to build a cybersecurity startup today, including go-to-market strategy,…