Podcast Summary
RSAC – Cyber at the Top
Episode: The Need for Speed: How High-Performance Computing Is Reshaping Cybersecurity
Host: Hugh Thompson
Guest: Dr. Phyllis Schneck, VP & CISO, Northrop Grumman
Date: April 16, 2026
Overview
This episode of “Cyber at the Top” explores how high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) are redefining the cybersecurity landscape. Host Hugh Thompson talks with Dr. Phyllis Schneck, Chief Information Security Officer at Northrop Grumman, about the impact of increasing compute power on defensive and adversarial tactics, risk management, infrastructure design, and the importance of speed in detection and response. Dr. Schneck shares real-world insights from her role, highlights the evolving arms race between defenders and attackers, and offers grounded advice for CISOs and technology leaders preparing for the near future.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Dr. Phyllis Schneck’s Role and Mission at Northrop Grumman
- Dr. Schneck leads the security and defense of Northrop Grumman’s electronic assets, which includes safeguarding systems that support mission-critical operations, especially those essential to national security. (01:54)
- “It’s protecting that mission and protecting the cyber parts and the technology parts... that enable the great mission for Northrop and our technology.” — Dr. Phyllis Schneck (02:10)
2. The Transformative Impact of High-Speed Computing on Cybersecurity
Three Core Areas of Change (03:06):
-
Speed & Decision-Making
- Increased compute power enables faster, more effective pattern recognition and risk mitigation.
- However, "the faster we move, the faster and more clever we have to think about what our protections are so that they're enablers and they don't get in the way." (03:38)
-
AI Acceleration
- Fast computing powers AI and also empowers adversaries. Automation makes exploit creation and detection “shockingly” faster and lowers technical barriers.
- “The adversary... they are manufacturing zero days like they're jelly beans right now.” — Dr. Schneck (04:29)
-
Lower Barrier to Compromise
- With sophisticated tools, attackers can succeed with less effort—sometimes just with the right prompt or social engineering—while defenders must use HPC and AI for both proactive and reactive security.
- “You use high performance computing to protect high performance computing. You use AI to protect AI…” (05:51)
Memorable Analogy:
Comparing the evolution of cybersecurity to the history of vacuuming — from manual and disliked chores to automation, freeing people for higher-value work. "Kind of like the Roomba, most people don't like to vacuum... if you take a task that most people don't want to do and automate it... you get a balance." (06:44)
3. Speed, Analytics, and Cyber Incident Response
- Speed = Lives Saved
Dr. Schneck draws a parallel between weather forecasting and cybersecurity, demonstrating how real-time analytics can surface hidden patterns and indicators of attack, enabling earlier preparation. (08:04)
- New Challenges for Response
The paradigm shift includes needing methods for rapid restoration after incidents like poisoned machine learning models, and understanding downstream business impacts. (09:46)
- “It's going to reframe how we have to look at electronic incident response.” (10:23)
4. Innovation: Vendors vs. Startups, Community Effort
- Most innovation comes from both large vendors and startups—both are crucial.
- The challenges facing vendors are immense; they must continuously patch, innovate, and respond to highly resourced adversaries (11:14).
- “Highly paid, very smart individuals have all the resources in the world to poke one hole in you.” (12:32)
- Dr. Schneck highlights the need for collective, proactive effort: “What is AI going to demand of us next and be part of shaping those requirements.” (12:57)
5. The Adversary’s Upside — Zero Days and Automation
- Zero day exploits are being discovered and deployed more rapidly, likely with automated tools.
- "Now... it's kind of like potato chips. There's always another one in there." (14:09)
- Automation is making the generation and use of exploits much cheaper and less risky for attackers. (14:35)
6. Speed as the Difference Maker: Historical and Modern Examples
- Early internet worms like Code Red were much harder to contain due to lack of compute and data visibility. Today, high-performance computers assist in rapid log analysis, simulation, and risk assessment to make timely decisions. (15:18)
- Speed is not just processers—it’s also organizational agility and practiced, prepared response (16:12).
7. Infrastructure for Secure, High-Performance Environments
- Design must be forward-looking: redundancy, traffic management, cloud vs. on-prem, remote work needs, adequate bandwidth, power, and cooling.
- Common Missteps:
- Relying on outdated infrastructure for too long (“if it’s still running, why fix it?”).
- Failing to upgrade communication speeds in tandem with computation speed, causing bottlenecks. (22:00)
- “Your infrastructure includes cooling, it includes power for that cooling... a very specific and sophisticated expertise that we're only just beginning to develop.” (21:38)
8. Nuances & Risks of Automation
- Automation amplifies error propagation: a minor mistake can escalate quickly in high-speed environments.
- Not all risks are adversary-driven: “Not every risk with high performance computing is caused by an intentional adversary. Some of it is escalated because we're running so fast and it's a mistake.” (26:46)
- Outsourcing can be viable for small companies; large organizations must balance in-house and external resources, always considering disaster recovery and proximity (distance-induced latency). (25:41)
9. Balancing User Experience with Security
- Security solutions must be as or more user-friendly than the alternatives; otherwise, users will bypass them.
- Transitioning from passwords to PINs or touch-based authentication is possible now due to advancements in hardware cryptography (28:54).
- “That processor in your iPhone is calculating a key that's far longer than your any password and it's far better protection.” (30:17)
- "If someone doesn't like something, they're not going to use it... we can't expect our employees to have to climb over an infrastructure to get their work done." (29:10)
- Painful user experiences drive unsafe workarounds: “If you open up that laptop and it takes 20 minutes to light up for you, you’re going to go to your phone.” (32:08)
10. Final Advice for CISOs and Technology Leaders
- Focus first on your mission and what you’re truly protecting—before worrying about specific regulations or vendors.
- Purpose-driven leadership, tied to the organization’s tangible impact, provides motivation and context (33:26).
- “Think about why you're here and your purpose in that role... Everyone had such an expertise on their small part of this big beautiful bird that to me gave me as a human being, not just a CISO, a lot of purpose.” (33:34)
Notable Quotes (By Timestamp)
- "Computers are not smart, they're super fast... more math, more calculations, better decisions, more pattern recognition—but also, more attack surface." — Dr. Schneck (03:19)
- “The adversary... are manufacturing zero days like jelly beans right now.” — Dr. Schneck (04:29)
- “Automation is like the Roomba… most people don’t like to vacuum.” — Dr. Schneck (06:44)
- “Speed isn’t just a stack of processors, it’s also how we practice and how we exercise.” — Dr. Schneck (16:10)
- “If you tell people no, their creativity is unfathomable... so if we can avoid spurring that in the user base, that would be a massive breakthrough.” — Hugh Thompson (32:47)
- “Success in cybersecurity is putting yourself out of a job.” — Dr. Schneck (21:13)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 01:54 — Dr. Schneck’s role and mission
- 03:06 — Three areas high speed computing changes cybersecurity
- 04:29 — AI and the adversary’s accelerated capabilities
- 08:04 — Analogy: weather forecasting and predictive incident analytics
- 11:14 — Where innovation is coming from in the vendor ecosystem
- 14:09 — The new era of zero day exploits (“like potato chips”)
- 15:18 — How speed made the difference in real incidents
- 18:53 — Foundations of secure, high-performance infrastructure
- 22:00 — Common infrastructure missteps and the importance of upgrades
- 25:41 — Automation: opportunities, risks, and advice
- 28:54 — Balancing user delight and security with high performance computing
- 33:26 — Dr. Schneck’s closing advice for CISOs
Tone and Language
The conversation is energetic and collaborative, blending technical depth with real-world analogies. Both speakers emphasize community, resilience, and balanced optimism. Dr. Schneck is pragmatic and insightful, using humor (“ministry of no,” “Roomba analogy”) to make complex ideas accessible. The dialogue is focused on empowering security leaders to act with both urgency and thoughtfulness.
For Listeners New to the Episode
This episode will give you a nuanced, practical perspective on how high-performance computing and AI are setting a new pace for both attackers and defenders in cybersecurity. You’ll gain actionable insight into building robust infrastructure, the necessity of user-friendly security, and staying ahead in a technology-driven arms race. Dr. Schneck’s expertise, paired with Hugh Thompson’s thoughtful questions, make this a must-listen for technology and security leaders navigating a rapidly accelerating threat landscape.