On the last day of the RSAC 2026 Conference, Kelly Jackson Higgins, Editor-in-Chief of ZeroOwl and Vice President of Cybersecurity Editorial at Informa TechTarget, talked with Jamison Cush and Sabrina Polin This article explores changing cybersecurity landscape. . Jackson Higgins gave a new view on how quickly technology is changing and how it affects businesses.
Her insights showed how quickly AI is changing the cybersecurity landscape, which is making it hard for many businesses to keep up as threat actors keep making their threats worse. KJH: We work together without any problems, keeping our branding styles separate but complementary. We don't talk about the same things or give the same information on our platforms because our audiences have different tastes and ways of presenting content.
Each platform will focus on different things and tell different stories that are relevant to its own audience. That's why I like to say we have a 360-degree view on this subject. I really think you have the best of all worlds with these three brands.
I really believe in this and have seen it work for the last year and a half. There were fewer vendors than there are now, so it was more like a specialized conference than a big trade show. Back then, it was easier to come up with new ideas and learn more about the industry. Authentication methods are one thing that has always been overused.
We still have trouble using biometrics and passkeys effectively, even though they are better.
It's worrying that breaches keep happening even though authentication methods like two-factor verification aren't working well. This area needs a lot of work to make it safer. Software will always have flaws because of how it works.
KJH: I think it's never happened before, and I've talked to a lot of people who have been in the business for a long time since 2006 who agree that this is not something we've seen happen so quickly. You can do things faster now because the AI technology is moving faster. It's definitely coming, but I wouldn't say it's an emergency right now. Rob Clyde from ISACA has said that quantum is the boring part, which is surprising because people usually think of it as cutting-edge, exciting technology.
There will be stories that are written for the SOC manager, CISO, or risk manager, but they will be told in different ways. Our three brands get together often to talk about new technology and share ideas to make sure we're not missing anything. Like a sponge soaking up information, we are always questioning things.
This way of thinking helps us grow and fits perfectly with my philosophy: don't just sit back and enjoy your success; always look ahead to what's next in our fast-changing field.
