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Stuart McClure

Cofounder, Cylance

Search every verified Stuart McClure interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Stuart McClure, co-founder and CEO of Cylance, has discussed the company's use of machine learning and mathematical models to prevent cyberattacks. In a 2019 interview, he stated that traditional signature-based approaches are 30% to 50% effective on new attacks, while AI and machine learning approaches achieve a 99.9% effectiveness rate. He described Cylance's technology as using feature extraction from files to train models that classify software as good or bad, allowing endpoints to operate autonomously without cloud connectivity. McClure also warned about the potential for "adversarial AI" or "AI versus AI" attacks, though he noted that such sophisticated attacks had not yet been observed in the wild as of 2019. In a 2015 keynote, McClure argued that the cybersecurity industry has historically been reactive and urged audiences to "trust the math" rather than vendors. He described Cylance's process of collecting over eight terabytes of data and mapping over five million features to detect malicious files. McClure also highlighted concerns about cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure, such as the electric grid, which he described as a potential precursor to physical conflict. He referenced the Stuxnet virus as an example of a state-sponsored attack on nuclear facilities.

Recent appearances

  • Secure Miami 2026: From Resilience to Prevention | Stuart McClure, CEO & Co-founder @WethosAI

    June 29, 2026 · 📺 DigitalEra Group

    Cylance founder Stuart McClure has spent a career on one idea: you don't have to wait for the fire — you can prevent it. At Secure Miami 2026, here's how that applies to AI. 🎙️ In this keynote — "From Resilience to Prevention: Simulating Success in a Chaotic World" — Stuart McClure, CEO & Co-Founder of WethosAI and former CEO of Cylance, makes the case for prevention over the industry's default detect-and-respond posture. He traces the origin of that conviction through a personal story, his RSA insulin-pump demonstration, and a first-principles approach to root cause — then argues for a diffe…

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  • Commercial Disco(very) with Stuart McClure, Founder & CEO, Cylance

    June 25, 2026 · 📺 InnovationAus

    In the episode of The Commercial Disco we speak to Stuart McClure, founder & CEO of Cylance, about his first sale to McAfee and now his sale of Cylance to Blackberry, and how that brings a new alignment to his company’s cybersecurity mission. Published in 2019. Read the full article here: https://www.innovationaus.com/stuart-...

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  • AI's Limitations and the Role of Human Judgement — Stuart McClure Keynote | TIF 2026

    May 12, 2026 · 📺 WethosAI

    In this TIF 2026 keynote, cybersecurity pioneer Stuart McClure — founder and former CEO of Cylance (acquired by BlackBerry for $1.4B) — takes the stage to share the origin story behind a career built on one obsession: preventing the preventable. Stuart opens with the harrowing story of United Airlines Flight 811, the 1989 mid-air cargo-door failure that tore a hole in the fuselage at 23,000 feet over the Pacific. He was 19, seated in row 41, and a last-second gut decision likely saved his and his mother's lives. The investigation that followed — driven by the parents of one of the nine passen…

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  • Why Your Phone is NEVER Truly Off (ft. Stuart McClure) : Cyber Confessions

    March 11, 2026 · 📺 Cybersecurity Girl

    Think your private life is safe because your phone is powered down? Stuart McClure says that advice is 15 years out of date. In this episode of Cyber Confessions, host Caitlin Sarian (Cybersecurity Girl) sits down with the man who wrote the "Bible" of hacking, Stuart McClure. As the former Global CTO of McAfee and founder of Cylance, Stuart reveals the chilling reality of modern "Advanced Power Management," where antennas, receivers, and location services stay active even when you think the device is off. From hacking live medical devices on a keynote stage to building "Digital Delegates" t…

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  • Is AI Finally Delivering on Its Promise in Cybersecurity? - The CyberVault with Stu McClure

    October 17, 2025 · 📺 The Biohub

    In this episode of The CyberVault, I’m joined by Stu McClure, CEO of Qwiet.ai and former CEO and founder of Cylance - one of the pioneers in applying AI to cybersecurity. Stu has spent decades shaping how our industry approaches prevention-first security, and now he’s leading a new chapter in AI-driven defense. We explore: 🤖 How AI in cyber has evolved since the early Cylance days- and what’s actually different in 2025 ⚡ The biggest challenges organizations face in adopting AI responsibly 🔍 The trends that will define AI’s role in cybersecurity through the rest of 2025 and into 2026 🔥 What ha…

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  • Cybersecurity AI Genius Delivers Game Changing Keynote at IMPACT 23 - Stuart McClure

    December 03, 2023 · 📺 Internet Marketing Association

    IMPACT 23: Where Ai Meets the Ocean was hosted by the Internet Marketing Association (IMA). IMA is one of the fastest growing ...

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  • MasterClass on Security and Company building - Stuart McClure (Best Selling Author, CEO Cylance)

    June 01, 2021 · 📺 Zero To Exit

    Stuart McClure is the founder and CEO of Cylance, the first endpoint cybersecurity company that revolutionized the way the industry detects and protects endpoints using machine learning. Prior to founding Cylance, Stuart ran the security business at McAfee, co-founded Foundstone and held leadership roles at small and large security companies. He is now a board member and advisor for many security companies. He is also the lead author for the best selling security book series of all times “Hacking Exposed”. If you’re remotely interested in enterprise security in any capacity, you don't want t…

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  • Webinar: Hacking Exposed: Live. Prevent - with Stuart McClure and Brian Robison

    August 05, 2019 · 📺 Cylance Inc.

    Cylance webinar.

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  • Cybersecurity with Stuart McClure Cylance (CxOTalk #324)

    January 22, 2019 · 📺 CXOTalk

    Cybersecurity: How do hackers think and what can you do to protect your organization? Author and CEO, Stuart McClure, explains it all on this episode of CXOTalk. Stuart McClure leads Cylance as CEO and visionary for the first math-based approach to threat detection, prevention, and response. Stuart is the creator and founding-author of one of the most successful security books of all time, Hacking Exposed. As one of the industry’s leading authorities, he is widely recognized for his extensive and in-depth knowledge of security. Prior to Cylance, Stuart was EVP, Global CTO and General Manager…

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  • Cylance vs. Hacking Exposed: The Cylance Showdown

    July 27, 2018 · 📺 Cylance Inc.

    In the third episode of Hacking Exposed, we explored the latest strategies and methods used by pen-testers and adversaries to defeat endpoint defenses. The discussion included various tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of threat actors, such as: • Simple methods for evading traditional AV solutions • How fileless attacks are designed to avoid detection • Discreet ways to deliver a malicious payload and live off the land This time, Stuart will demonstrate how the toughest attacks can be prevented. Watch Cylance's CEO put it all on the line as he pits CylancePROTECT® and CylanceOPTI…

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  • Stuart McClure: On Suffering, Cycling, and Wild Dogs

    July 18, 2018 · 📺 Cylance Inc.

    How did riding bikes to get away from wild dogs in Guam influence Cylance Founder & CEO Stuart McClure's creative spirit and managerial style? Cylance Founder and CEO Stuart McClure (@hackingexposed) sat down with Matt Stephenson (@packmatt73) to dig into his roots and discuss how suffering, cycling and wild dogs helped teach him humility, which in turn, helped to shape his outlook and managerial style. Make sure to follow Cylance in all the familiar places to keep up to date on the latest news in cybersecurity: @cylanceinc and @cylanceinsider as well as www.threatvector.cylance.com Stuart…

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  • Artificial Intelligence, A.K.A. "The Future of Everything" | Stuart McClure

    January 10, 2018 · 📺 Mind The Sec

    Talk presented at Mind The Sec São Paulo 2017 event. Learn more at https://www.mindthesec.com.br/ Stuart Mcclure Author of bestseller Hacking Exposed , CEO Cylance Artificial Intelligence , A.K.A . "The Future Of Everything" The world Is A Tough Place For Doing Business In Cyberspace . Every Time You Get Ahead Of Your Adversary , They Leap Ahead And Compromise Your Most Valuable Assets . Our Only Hope For Finally Having An Advantage Over “ Villains ” Is Using Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning To Learn From Past Attacks And Predict Their Future — Preventing Them Before They Can Eve…

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The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →