Stare Down the Bull EP 8: Cybersecurity, AI and Power and DC: What Keeps Leaders Up at Night
By Susan Hunt
January 12, 2026
What Is the Real Cybersecurity and AI Risk Facing the U.S. Today?
The biggest cybersecurity and AI risk facing the United States isn’t technology itself, it’s the widening gap between how fast these tools are evolving and how slowly policy, regulation, and governance can respond.
That’s the core message from Norma Krayem, Chairman of the Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Digital Innovation Practice at Van Scoyoc and Associates, in her conversation with Susan Hunt on Stare Down the Bull.
Why Cybersecurity Is a National Security Issue
Cybersecurity has moved far beyond IT departments and compliance checklists. As Norma explains, cyber risk is now systemic. If systems fail, everything fails:
- Power grids
- Water systems
- Hospitals and emergency services
- Banking and financial markets
- Transportation and aviation
Washington understands this more clearly than ever, but translating technical realities into policy decisions remains deeply challenging.
AI Is Moving Faster Than Policy Can Keep Up
AI isn’t just another emerging technology. It’s accelerating faster than regulation, faster than institutional learning, and faster than most leaders can fully comprehend.
Norma warns that this gap is where real danger lives. The race to be first to market has pushed companies to deploy AI before fully understanding:
- Security vulnerabilities
- Bias and ethics risks
- Nation-state weaponization
- How AI-enabled cyberattacks can outpace human response
In her words, smart technology isn’t smart if it’s insecure.
Nation-States, AI, and Cyber as Weapons
One of the most sobering insights from the episode is Norma’s framing of AI and cybersecurity as modern tools of war. Nation-states are already using cyber operations to destabilize adversaries and AI accelerates that threat.
The goal isn’t always destruction. Sometimes it’s something quieter: rendering systems “deaf, dumb, and blind.”
That possibility alone should reshape how leaders think about AI governance.
How Real Policy Progress Actually Happens in DC
Despite headlines, Norma emphasizes that meaningful policy work is happening, just not loudly.
The most effective work:
- Happens across party lines
- Has a focus on outcomes, not optics
- Is built on trust, honesty, and long-term relationships
Policy progress doesn’t come from parachuting into DC for a single meeting. It comes from sustained engagement, education, and a willingness to acknowledge both the benefits and risks of technology.
What CEOs, Founders, and Investors Need to Understand Now
For leaders building or investing in AI-enabled companies, Norma offers a clear directive:
You cannot build AI outside of regulation.
Healthcare, finance, energy, and infrastructure are already governed by laws that don’t disappear just because AI is involved. Companies that build compliance, security, and privacy into their tools early aren’t slowed down, they’re more likely to succeed.
The Leadership Lesson: Staring the Bull Down
Beyond policy, the episode delivers a powerful leadership lesson.
Norma recounts a moment early in her career when she was publicly challenged by a senior colleague. Instead of backing down, she stood her ground, spoke the truth, and walked out, changing the dynamic permanently.
Conflict, she explains, is often used to assert power. Knowing when and how to face it levels the playing field.
Why This Conversation Matters Now
AI, cybersecurity, and national security are converging faster than most people realize. The decisions made or avoided today will shape economic stability, public safety, and global power for decades.
As Norma Krayem makes clear, the bull is already in the room. The question is whether leaders are willing to look it in the eye.
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