#606: Is Cybersecurity Still Worth Learning in 2026?

Big thanks to ThreatLocker for sponsoring my trip to Black Hat USA 2026 and also for sponsoring this video. To start your free trial with ThreatLocker, please use the following link: https://www.threatlocker.com/davidbombal Is cybersecurity still worth learning in 2026? AI agents are changing vulnerability research, but where does that leave you? At Black Hat, I’m joined by Arizona State University professor Yan Shoshitaishvili to discuss what AI can actually do, where it falls short, and why he would still choose a career in cybersecurity today. Yan shares how his lab used AI agents and human-designed workflows to find what he describes as over 1,000 Linux kernel vulnerabilities triggerable by an unprivileged local user. Running 128 agents was only part of the story. Understanding which vulnerabilities to look for and improving the research process proved critical. We discuss: • How AI agents test potential vulnerabilities instead of simply reporting suspected bugs • How agentic AI compares with fuzzing and static analysis • Why finding new bugs does not automatically prove one tool is better • Why human expertise still matters in security research • How to use AI as a learning assistant without skipping the learning • Free, hands-on cybersecurity training through pwn.college • Yan’s advice for anyone considering cybersecurity in 2026 // Yan Shoshitaishvili SOCIAL // LinkedIn: / yan-shoshitaishvili-7024305 ASU website: https://www.asu.edu/ // ThreatLocker’s SOCIAL // LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thre... X: https://x.com/threatlocker Instagram: / threatlocker Website: https://www.threatlocker.com/ // David's SOCIAL // Discord: discord.com/invite/usKSyzb Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbombal Instagram: www.instagram.com/davidbombal LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davidbombal Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidbombal.co TikTok: tiktok.com/@davidbombal YouTube: / @davidbombal Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3f6k6gE... SoundCloud: / davidbombal Apple Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... // MY STUFF // https://www.amazon.com/shop/davidbombal // SPONSORS // Interested in sponsoring my videos? Reach out to my team here: sponsors@davidbombal.com // MENU // 0:00 - Coming up 0:34 - Intro 02:10 - Rethinking How Cybersecurity Is Taught 04:35 - AI Agents Are Changing Vulnerability Research 10:11 - Sponsored Section 11:18 - Are AI Agents Really Better at Finding Bugs? 16:00 - AI Agents vs the Linux Kernel 19:30 - Where Human Expertise Still Matters 23:09 - Learning Cybersecurity With AI 25:17 - Will AI Eventually Replace Everyone? 30:26 - Would You Still Choose Cybersecurity? 30:50 - Conclusion & Outro Please note that links listed may be affiliate links and provide me with a small percentage/kickback should you use them to purchase any of the items listed or recommended. Thank you for supporting me and this channel! Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only. #aiagents #vulnerabilityresearch #bhusa2026