Arctic Wolf CEO Nick Schneider: AI, Vulnerability Threats Changing In 2027

A massive opportunity is ahead for security teams to protect against intensifying AI-powered attacks with the help of agentic systems, Schneider says during the latest episode of CRN’s Security or Else! podcast.

AI-driven discovery and exploitation of vulnerabilities has recently been picking up—and as 2027 approaches, we have every reason to expect it will be “more of the norm than the exception.”

That’s according to Arctic Wolf CEO Nick Schneider, who appeared on this week’s episode of Security or Else!—a CRN video series hosted by senior editor Kyle Alspach—to discuss why the likely increase in AI-driven threats is a “pretty daunting” issue for many businesses right now.

[Related: Arctic Wolf CEO: 75 Percent Of SOC Roles Could Become ‘Almost Entirely Agentic’]

PHP2Shell—a pair of critical-severity PHP vulnerabilities—has been just one of the major new threats to emerge in recent weeks that has clear links to AI.

However, these issues could become a routine challenge for businesses in 2027—raising the urgency around adopting faster, agentic approaches to cyber defense, Schneider said.

At the same time, Schneider said he sees an opportunity for AI to make security operations more effective—and possibly even more affordable—with channel partners in the best position to help customers navigate the shift.

Advances in agentic technology are creating huge opportunities for solution and service providers to help customers that, in the past, have lacked the resources or expertise to build a robust security operation, he said.

“I’m probably more energetic and excited about the opportunity for the cybersecurity community—and for Arctic Wolf in particular—to be able to help customers solve this problem than maybe I ever have [been],” Schneider said.

Check out the video here, and please like and subscribe if you enjoyed (available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple). Security or Else! features conversations with security experts and top executives about what’s hype and what’s real—and what channel partners truly need to focus on next in security and AI.