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The Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard defining how AI assistants connect to external data sources and tools, is becoming vital infrastructure for generative and agentic AI applications. As organizations rapidly adopt these capabilities while managing risks, this symposium helps security leaders understand MCP's architecture, why vendors are quickly developing MCP servers, and the security risks of connecting AI systems to enterprise resources. We also explore how AI Security Posture Management (AI-SPM) tools are evolving to address these challenges and provide practical frameworks for managing MCP-enabled AI deployments.

The Microsoft Copilot ecosystem is rapidly evolving to help organizations take advantage of AI agents securely and at scale. Its new Frontier program brings Agent Identities in Microsoft Entra, Agent 365 to help manage agents across the ecosystem, and new licensing with E7. With the introduction of new models, Microsoft has also opened up new channels, such as Agent Builder and Cowork, making building agents far easier than before. Securing all of these capabilities increases the knowledge required for every practitioner putting these capabilities to work.

IANS CISO Roundtables are an exclusive opportunity to connect with peer security executives. The curated agenda is designed to foster conversations between participants, letting them share best practices in an environment free from press or vendors. It’s a closed-door opportunity to tackle the problems that matter most to you and your teams.

Heather Hinton is a four‑time CISO, cybersecurity executive, and trusted advisor with more than 30 years of experience and over 75 issued patents in security and identity management. A two‑time CISO 100 honoree, Top 40 CISO to Watch, and inductee into the Women in Technology Hall of Fame, she is also a sought‑after mentor and coach for cybersecurity professionals. As a Lecturer at Harvard Extension School, Heather teaches Product Security, Secure Operations, and Ethical Hacking, and leads capstone projects for the cybersecurity master’s program. She has led security initiatives at leading technology companies, with deep expertise in cloud‑native security, global security operations, identity and data protection, and building high‑performing teams.

Greg Day is SVP & CISO at Cybersecurity Wisdom and a respected cybersecurity thought leader with more than 35 years of industry experience. He has been active in cybersecurity since its earliest days, developing an early EDR solution and serving in consulting and senior CTO/CISO roles at organizations including Dr. Solomon’s/McAfee, Symantec, FireEye/Mandiant, Palo Alto Networks, and Cybereason. Greg has led extensive cyber transformation initiatives, SOC and incident response programs, and threat and forensics training. He works closely with public sector and Global 2000 organizations on cybersecurity strategy—spanning risk, AI, IoT/OT, operational resilience, and security consolidation—as well as policy and regulatory frameworks such as GDPR and the EU NIS Directive.

New data on how large enterprise CISOs are navigating declining budgets, rising legal exposure, and an expanding dual mandate.

The 2026 Cybersecurity Talent Report delivers compensation and staffing benchmarks from over 500 security professionals to help make confident decisions on staffing models, pay levels, and retention strategies.

As infosec scope continues to expand while budgets and headcount tighten, security leaders must rethink how their teams are structured, developed, and empowered.