In Episode 7 of the DevSecOops podcast, hosts Tom Walker, Scott Fletcher, and James Vincent sat down with Matt Preswick, Principal Solutions Engineer at Wiz APJ, to unpack how Wiz has become an emerging favourite of both engineering teams and the executive suite. Beyond that, they also discussed the broader issue of the everyday realities of cloud security and why so many organisations are still struggling to get it right.

Who’s Wiz?

Tom kicked things off by reflecting on how fast Wiz has risen to prominence. When asked what’s actually driving attention, Matt explained that cloud risks are like leaving the windows or doors open in your house. You might not see that threat, but it’s there, and someone else will eventually find it. Wiz allows organisations to understand these threats and risks by giving a comprehensive, bird’s-eye view of their cloud environments.

Matt also acknowledged that while traditional security tools help analysts, those who are closest to the code are often left behind. This is where Wiz tries to make sense to developers and operators, who are often the first to be overwhelmed when something goes wrong in the system.

Closing The Developer Security Divide

Scott then moved the conversation into a familiar challenge for anyone who’s worked in a tech team. The classic push and pull between developers and security people.

Matt said that this is really the reality across tech teams. However, he suggested that teams should really focus on what’s relevant instead of trying to fix everything at once. James agreed and shared his experience with AWS IAM policies where Wiz made a difference. Wiz assessed what was wrong with the policy and which assets were affected by that, helping him to understand what the risk actually means. This, according to James, is significant for it makes the security landscape much more accessible, thereby bridging the gap between developers and security teams.

Security Is Finally Reaching The Boardroom

The group then turned to the monumental shift happening across the industry. The trio discussed that security nowadays is no longer treated as a back office concern since it’s been part of the boardroom conversations. With breaches making headlines and the whole industry at risk, leaders want to see the figures and ensure that the organisation is in the best position.

Matt built on that idea, highlighting that dashboards and business level insights help drive those conversations. By translating complex issues into business terms, CIOs, CTOs, and CEOs can understand how secure their business is and formulate their business strategies. Tom and James agreed, explaining that they’ve seen how hard it can be for security leaders to justify security investments or explain risks to executives.

The AI Question Everyone’s Asking

The Hosts then asked where Wiz is heading next considering the rise of AI. Matt acknowledged that AI is really changing the cybersecurity landscape. While it helps defenders, it also helps attackers by finding patterns and probing every system’s vulnerabilities.