Ben Wilcox of ProArch

In this episode of Modern Cyber, Jeremy is joined by Ben Wilcox, the unique combination of CTO and CISO at ProArch, to discuss navigating the critical intersection of speed, risk, and security in the era of AI. Ben shares his perspective as a long-time practitioner in the Microsoft ecosystem, emphasizing that the security stack must evolve with each major technology shift—from on-prem to cloud to AI.

The conversation focuses on how to help customers achieve "data readiness" for AI adoption, particularly stressing that organizational discipline (like good compliance) is the fastest path to realizing AI's ROI. Ben reveals that the biggest concern he hears from enterprise customers is not LLM hallucinations or bias, but the risk of a major data breach via new AI services. He explains how ProArch leverages the comprehensive Microsoft security platform to provide centralized security and identity control across data, devices, and AI agents, ensuring that user access and data governance (Purview) trickle down through the entire stack.

Finally, Ben discusses the inherent friction of his dual CISO/CTO role, explaining his philosophy of balancing rapid feature deployment with risk management by defining a secure "MVP" baseline and incrementally layering on controls as product maturity and risk increase.

About Ben Wilcox

Ben Wilcox is the Chief Technology Officer and Chief Information Security Officer at ProArch, where he leads global strategy for cloud modernization, cybersecurity, and AI enablement. With over two decades of experience architecting secure digital transformations, Ben helps enterprises innovate responsibly while maintaining compliance and resilience. He’s recently guided Fortune 500 clients through AI adoption and zero-trust initiatives, ensuring that security evolves in step with rapid technological change.

Episode Links

https://www.proarch.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wilcox/

https://ignite.microsoft.com/en-US/home