Techstrong TV — Wed, Apr 22

20 Years of Hacking: Why AI Changes Everything for Cybersecurity

Alan Shimel with Joe Cortese

What does a veteran hacker with over 20 years in offensive and defensive security think about the AI revolution? In this episode of TechStrong TV, Alan Shimel sits down with Joe Cortese, Pen Test Director at A-LIGN, to explore how AI is fundamentally reshaping the cybersecurity landscape — for attackers and defenders alike. Joe shares his journey from the US Intelligence Community to leading a team of 40+ pen testers at A-LIGN, a cybersecurity compliance firm specializing in SOC 2, ISO, HITRUST, PCI, FedRAMP, and penetration testing. He explains why compliance is just the ground floor — not the ceiling — and what organizations should be doing the other 11 months of the year. From lessons learned under Bell Labs engineers about continuous monitoring, to the concept of an "AI poverty line" that separates organizations willing to adopt AI from those falling behind, Joe delivers a no-nonsense perspective on what it takes to survive in today's threat environment.