In 2025, out of all 70+ guests we had on our show, not one of them said they’d trust AI to run their SOC. Now in 2026, that mindset is shifting. In this episode, Ron sits down with Aqsa Taylor, Chief Security Evangelist at Exaforce, to find out what changed, and what's still standing in the way of security teams being able to trust AI agents with response.

The conversation covers what's really behind the agentic SOC hype, why "vibe hunting" might be the most fun phrase in cybersecurity right now, and how teams can build enough confidence to hand over the keys to detection, investigation, and response.

Aqsa also gets into the one thing she believes has to come before any of it works: the data. Without the right context feeding your AI you’re just getting confident guesses dressed up as answers. Listen to find out if your team is ready to take the leap into an agentic SOC.

Impactful Moments
00:00 - Introduction
02:05 - Hack the headlines, June top trends in cybersecurity
05:30 - Welcoming Aqsa Taylor from Exaforce
06:15 - Inside Exaforce's $125M raise
08:50 - Redefining what AI SOC should mean
09:30 - The evolution from manual playbooks to AI-driven autonomy
13:40 - Where Exaforce fits in an existing stack
18:10 - What vibe hunting looks like in practice
19:40 - The challenges of securing sensitive data in a world dominated by SaaS platforms
22:00 - How to build your trust ladder for AI in the SOC
24:40 - Best use case to get started with AI SOC
28:50 - Ron's takeaway: the data has to be there first

Links

Connect with Aqsa Taylor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aqsa-taylor

Learn more about Exaforce: https://www.exaforce.com

Join Exaforce’s Force Multiplier Substack community: https://theforcemultiplier.substack.com

–

Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams

Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com

Become a sponsor of the show: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/