Presented by Booz Allen
A major challenge is the volume of information security teams receive. Detections and alerts can overwhelm attention without necessarily improving understanding. Zientek describes AI as a force multiplier that helps reduce that noise. The intended result is a clearer basis for human decision-making across operations, engineering, and governance. Tools can help identify what merits attention, but people still need to evaluate the situation and determine an appropriate response. His emphasis is on improving the usefulness of information reaching the decision-maker.
That expectation has implications for the workforce. Zientek says the skills analysts need are evolving, and he places particular value on curiosity. An analyst must be willing to question what appears familiar and consider what else might explain an event. An alert could point to an adversary, an insider threat, or a misconfiguration. Established practices provide a foundation, but curiosity helps people recognize possibilities outside their immediate assumptions. It supports the investigation needed to understand whether a signal represents something the organization has overlooked.
The same principle informs his approach to zero trust. Zientek acknowledges the importance of compliance measurements and audit requirements, while describing an ambition to make zero trust part of the organization’s normal operating practice. The framework should inform how teams respond to incidents, evaluate vulnerabilities, and look for gaps. Its practical value grows as those principles become part of routine decisions. A completed measurement can document progress; continued questioning helps reveal where the organization still needs stronger protection.
Visibility is another essential part of that operating approach. Zientek describes it as a key consideration for systems receiving authorization to operate in his environment. Leaders need enough understanding to assess what is happening, identify dependencies, and make choices when a component is compromised or unavailable. Visibility helps connect security information to operational consequences. In the conversation, it supports a larger objective: knowing what can be separated from operations so the organization can protect the mission when something goes wrong.
Zientek extends the familiar assumption of breach to include the assumption of failure. That broadens the planning question beyond whether a threat can be detected and removed. Organizations must also consider what happens when a system or safeguard does not work as expected. The focus turns to survivability: which functions must continue, what dependencies could interfere, and what choices remain available. Planning from that perspective helps leaders evaluate security measures in terms of their contribution to sustained operations under difficult conditions.
His definition of resilience reflects that mission focus. Recovering a particular technology component may be useful, but it is not the only possible path to continuity. Another capability may satisfy the same mission need. Zientek explains that the appropriate approach also depends on the resources available. The important outcome is the ability to continue fulfilling federal mission requirements. This perspective gives leaders a broader way to assess investments, connecting technical recovery options to the operational purpose they are intended to serve.
Human oversight remains necessary throughout that process. Zientek emphasizes that automation also needs an off switch and someone capable of recognizing when to use it. Education, judgment, and governance help ensure that automated activity stays aligned with organizational needs. His discussion brings the three elements back together: technology can accelerate analysis and action, while people remain responsible for consequential choices. For agencies considering how to strengthen OT security and broader cyber defense, the lesson is to connect every capability to the mission, preserve informed human control, and prepare to operate through both compromise and failure. That connection gives security leaders a practical standard for evaluating progress over time.
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This interview is part of Reimagining Cyber: At Velocity, presented by Booz Allen and inspired by its Velocity magazine. Continue exploring insights on cybersecurity, emerging technology, and federal missions.