AI AGENTS, MACHINE IDENTITIES TO RESHAPE BOARDROOM CYBERSECURITY PRIORITIES

KEVIN BOCEK, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF INNOVATION AT CYBERARK, EXPLAINS WHY IDENTITY SECURITY WILL DEFINE GOVERNANCE, RESILIENCE AND DIGITAL TRUST IN 2026 AS AI AGENTS AND AUTOMATION RESHAPE CORPORATE DECISION-MAKING IN THE GULF AND BEYOND.

- KEVIN BOCEK

Organisations across the Gulf are accelerating AI adoption and automation, making identity security the defining control plane for digital trust. Kevin Bocek, Senior Vice-President of Innovation at CyberArk, spoke to Sandhya D’Mello, Technology Editor, CPI Media Group, on how AI agents, machine identities, and board-level governance could reshape cybersecurity priorities by 2026.

From the potential role of AI agents in corporate decision-making to the growing risk of runaway automation, Bocek explains why identity – both human and nonhuman – now sits at the core of resilience, accountability, and fiduciary responsibility.

Bocek also outlines the priorities CISOs and boards must address today to secure machine identities at scale, as cloud, AI and autonomous systems transform the Gulf’s digital ecosystems.

Interview excerpts:

You’ve predicted that shareholders may soon appoint AI agents to corporate boards – what signals make this shift realistic for 2026, and what governance risks does it introduce?