The cybersecurity industry is on the brink of a genuine revolution. After an insightful conversation with Ofer Ben-Noon, co-founder of Argus and Talon Cyber Security and currently CTO of SASE at Palo Alto Networks, one thing became crystal clear to me: the future of hybrid work lies in the browser, and artificial intelligence (AI) is introducing new and challenging threats alongside significant opportunities.
Ben-Noon is an experienced entrepreneur who has consistently identified technological revolutions ahead of the market. In 2013, he founded Argus, a pioneer in automotive cybersecurity, at a time when the field was still nascent. Today, he’s again at the forefront of innovation. Talon, the startup he founded in 2021 (later acquired by Palo Alto Networks), was the first to identify the browser as a critical point for securing hybrid work environments. “Everything happens through the browser today,” Ben-Noon explained simply. “If you control the browser, you control the data.”
The numbers illustrate the scale of the challenge: large organizations currently use over 1,500 approved SaaS applications on average. Additionally, employees utilize thousands of unmonitored applications. According to Ben-Noon, “about 70% of network traffic in leading organizations today isn’t sufficiently monitored.” The implications are severe: organizations lose visibility and control over their information, creating fertile ground for data leaks and cyber incidents.
These dangers escalate as hybrid work, born during the COVID-19 pandemic, becomes the new norm. Employees no longer solely operate within secure offices equipped with firewalls and VPNs; they connect from cafes, airports, and hotels. “We can no longer rely on physical infrastructure,” Ben-Noon emphasized. “You must secure the browser itself. If you control the browser, you control the information.”
Attackers, naturally, have also adapted. Ben-Noon shared alarming data: “In the past year alone, around 7.7 million new malicious domains and URLs were identified daily. This number has dramatically increased since the emergence of AI tools, enabling attackers to execute automated, faster, and more precise attacks.” He warned that the browser has become the primary target for attackers, who recognize that breaching it grants direct access to the organization’s most critical data.
However, Ben-Noon doesn’t focus solely on risks but also emphasizes opportunities: “AI is a double-edged sword. It’s dangerous, but also essential for effective defense.” Talon’s technology, for instance, leverages artificial intelligence to monitor, identify, and protect sensitive organizational data in real-time, preemptively stopping breaches. “We must shift from passive alerts to active, intelligent AI-driven intervention,” he stressed.
This approach directly ties into employee experience, addressing their frustration with security creating friction in daily tasks. Ben-Noon’s vision is of a transparent, intuitive, and automatic security environment operating seamlessly in the background without hampering productivity. “In the past, security was driven by rigid, uncompromising protocols. Today, it must be transparent and integral to work processes.”
My conversation with Ben-Noon reinforced a crucial hypothesis: hybrid work isn’t going anywhere. Leading employees, those organizations most wish to retain, won’t agree to return exclusively to the office. Meanwhile, AI tools will continue escalating both threats and opportunities. Organizations adapting to this new reality, adopting browser-based, AI-driven security solutions, will enjoy a significant advantage. Those failing to adapt will face intensifying risks.
When I asked Ben-Noon at the end of our conversation whether we fully grasp the implications of this transformation, he responded: “We are still understanding its full implications. But ignoring it isn’t an option. Technology evolves weekly, forcing us to constantly keep our finger on the pulse.” In my opinion, this attitude—constant vigilance and rapid adaptability—is precisely what organizations must embrace as swiftly as possible.
Michael Matias is CEO and co-founder of Clarity, an AI-powered cybersecurity startup backed by venture capital firms Bessemer Venture Partners and Walden Catalyst. Clarity specializes in developing AI-driven technologies that protect organizations against sophisticated phishing attacks, including deepfakes and AI-generated social engineering threats. Before founding Clarity, Matias studied Computer Science (specializing in AI) at Stanford University and led cybersecurity teams for several years in the IDF’s elite intelligence unit, 8200. Forbes Israel recognized Matias at a young age, selecting him for the exclusive 18Under18 list in 2013, and three years later he was named to Forbes 30Under30. Matias authored the book “Age is Only an Int” and hosts the podcast “20MinuteLeaders.”
