Podcast

The SOC Is a Ticking Clock featuring Anthony LaForte

The cybersecurity industry has spent decades throwing bodies at the same three problems: too much noise, not enough context, and not enough budget. AI didn't create those problems, but it's about to make ignoring them dangerous.

Recorded at RSAC Conference 2026, Nate and Lior sat down with Anthony LaForte, Director of Cyber Operations at an HR and benefits tech company protecting the financial and health data of millions. Anthony came up through forensics, malware reverse engineering, and SOC leadership at McKesson, where a mentor told him on day one that a wrong move here means someone dies. That reality never left him, and it shapes everything about how he thinks about security, risk, and what it means to lead in a world where attackers are automating faster than defenders can adapt.

Lior Div

CEO & Co-Founder, 7AI

Nathan Burke

Chief Marketing Officer, 7AI

Anthony LaForte

Director of Cyber Operations

Impactful Moments:

00:00 – Introduction
03:22 – Attacker mindset shapes every decision
05:00 – AI lowers attacker barriers, raises ours
10:18 – "If you screw up, people die"
11:45 – 200,000 alerts tuned down manually
15:10 – 800 alerts, one real threat hidden inside
17:00 – Vulnerability management is broken everywhere
22:10 – Security was a point-in-time decision
27:45 – Strategy and judgment belong to humans
34:20 – 25% back? He'd mentor his team
42:05 – "I don't think there'll be a SOC in five years"

Interested in being a guest or want to recommend someone? Reach out to us at DoHumanWork@7ai.com