In the meantime, it's time for a power check where we walk you through some of the big stock stories catching our collective eyes. And today, it's three companies reporting their earnings this week. They are internet security company PaloAlto, cosmetics firm Estee Lauder, and river cruise company Vikings.Now, PaloAlto Network's numbers come out Tuesday, Viking Holdings later in the week, and Estee Lauder as well. Joining us now to talk about how you should be trading these names if at all going into the pri ...

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the transformative role of AI in the security industry, particularly through the introduction of intelligent agents that enhance efficiency and reduce reliance on human resources in security operations [2][4][8]. Group 1: AI and Security - AI can serve as both a weapon and a shield in addressing security challenges, with large models being crucial for vertical applications in the security sector [2][3]. - The concept of "Security as a Service" was introduced by 360 in 2023, aiming to productize security services and address the inefficiencies of traditional security methods [7][10]. - The evolution from large models to intelligent agents is seen as essential, as these agents can autonomously understand tasks, plan, and deliver results, significantly improving operational efficiency [8][9]. Group 2: Intelligent Agents - 360 Security Cloud has launched three types of intelligent agents: Security Agent, Management Agent, and Employee Agent, which enhance various aspects of security operations [13][14]. - The Security Agent can autonomously handle threat detection, response, and reporting, achieving a threefold increase in threat discovery speed compared to manual processes [15][16]. - The Management Agent focuses on internal data security and compliance, while the Employee Agent streamlines business processes across various functions [16]. Group 3: Data and Standardization - 360 Security Cloud possesses over 2 exabytes of security data, which supports the intelligent agents and enhances their accuracy in threat detection [10][20]. - The company is implementing standardization across its services to facilitate easier integration for partners, allowing them to quickly adopt and benefit from 360's capabilities [19][21]. - The shared data and expertise from 360 Security Cloud enable partners to enhance their security operations and reduce costs significantly [20][22]. Group 4: Market Impact - The adoption of AI-driven security solutions is expected to democratize access to advanced security capabilities, allowing more businesses to benefit from robust security measures [22]. - The company aims to expand its national-level security capabilities to various industries, promoting a safer digital transformation for enterprises [22].

Core Insights - The 13th ISC.AI Internet Security Conference highlighted AI as a central theme, with a focus on intelligent agents as the future of the industry [1] - Zhou Hongyi, founder of 360 Group, predicts that 2025 will be the year of intelligent agents, which will transform organizational operations and economic structures [1] Group 1: Intelligent Agent Levels - Intelligent agents are categorized into five levels (L1-L5), with L1 being chat assistants like ChatGPT, which have limited functionality for enterprise needs [2] - L2 agents are workflow agents that automate standard operating procedures but lack flexibility, primarily used in repetitive tasks [4] - L3 agents are reasoning agents driven by large models, capable of planning tasks autonomously but face challenges in executing complex instructions [3] Group 2: Evolution and Economic Impact - The evolution of intelligent agents is driven by three technological breakthroughs: DeepSeek for reasoning model proliferation, MCP for tool interface standardization, and Manus for L3 agent development [5] - The emergence of "intelligent agent economy" is anticipated, where human roles shift from executors to managers of intelligent agents, creating new value [5][6] Group 3: Human-Agent Interaction - Future human-computer interaction will fundamentally change, with users becoming leaders of intelligent agents rather than mere operators of software [6] - Intelligent agents will take on roles such as shopping and negotiation, leading to a shift in how tasks are managed [7] Group 4: Security Implications - Intelligent agents can address talent shortages in cybersecurity by acting as virtual experts, providing 24/7 threat assessment [7] - However, there are risks of adversarial use of intelligent agents for cyberattacks, necessitating a dynamic defense system [7]

Core Viewpoint - The ISC.AI 2025 conference emphasizes the transition from large models to intelligent agents, highlighting their potential to revolutionize the AI industry and improve business operations [3][4][5]. Group 1: Conference Highlights - The theme of ISC.AI 2025 is "All in Agent," indicating a focus on intelligent agents as the next direction for the AI industry [4]. - Zhou Hongyi, founder of 360, stresses that intelligent agents can replace traditional business processes and are essential for countering automated attacks from hackers using multiple agents [4][6]. - The conference showcased the advancements in intelligent agents, which are seen as more effective than large models in practical applications [5][6]. Group 2: Intelligent Agents Development - Intelligent agents are categorized into four levels: L1 (chat assistants), L2 (low-code workflow agents), L3 (reasoning agents), and L4 (multi-agent swarms) [7]. - The current capabilities of intelligent agents allow them to perform tasks with greater efficiency compared to human efforts, such as threat detection and incident management [6][7]. - Zhou notes that while intelligent agents are powerful, they require deep industry knowledge to be effective, and a universal agent is currently unattainable [6][7]. Group 3: Industry Challenges and Future Directions - The emergence of "intelligent agent hackers" poses a new challenge, as they can automate attacks, increasing the risk of cyber warfare [7]. - The integration of AI technology with digital security is crucial, with a focus on collaborative model development and proactive immune systems [7].

KnowBe4, a Vista Equity Partners-owned internet security platform, is cutting its borrowing costs by refinancing about $1.46 billion of private debt through the leveraged-loan market https://t.co/d2CZuTYBO1 ...

The world’s largest internet security provider just defaulted to blocking AI crawlers—and lets publishers set a price for scraping. https://t.co/hbiu78HXZ3 ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company has reset its long-term growth expectations, projecting about 10% growth for its security segment due to product maturity and market saturation [15][16] - The company anticipates a 30% to 35% growth in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) for new capabilities this year, particularly in API security and Gardacore segmentation [18][46] - Operating margins were close to 30% in Q1, with guidance for slightly lower margins for the year due to investments in new platforms and infrastructure [22][23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The security segment is expected to grow at a slower rate due to maturity, while new products are projected to drive significant growth [15][16][18] - The compute business is identified as a major focus, with investments being reallocated from the delivery business to enhance growth in this area [25][26] - The delivery business is aiming for stabilization, with traffic growth expected to improve as market conditions rationalize [65][68] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company has seen a shift in customer acquisition strategies, with channel partners becoming the primary source of new customers for security and compute services [8][12] - The competitive landscape has changed, with several competitors exiting the market, which may help stabilize pricing dynamics [68][71] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on a go-to-market transition to increase the ratio of hunters to farmers, emphasizing the need to target new customers beyond traditional CDN users [4][5] - Investments are being made in cloud infrastructure and security products to enhance the total addressable market (TAM) [23][25] - The company aims to position itself as a comprehensive cloud provider, similar to hyperscalers, by integrating compute, security, and delivery services [84][86] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledges the challenges posed by AI in the security landscape, noting that AI has increased the attack surface and sophistication of threats [53][57] - The company believes that the demand for new security solutions, particularly those tailored for AI applications, will drive future growth [55][56] - Management is optimistic about traffic growth in the delivery business, citing potential increases from video content and AI-generated media [68][70] Other Important Information - The company has been insourcing third-party compute services to improve efficiency and customer experience [44] - The compute business is seen as a significant opportunity, particularly in media, where customers are looking for cost-effective solutions [29][30] Q&A Session Summary Question: How has the go-to-market transition been going? - The company is evolving to focus more on hunting for new customers, particularly in security and cloud computing [4][5] Question: What led to the reset of growth expectations? - The company had not provided long-term guidance for over three years and felt it was important to update the community on current views [13][15] Question: What are the critical investments needed to achieve growth? - Investments are being made in technology, compute infrastructure, and sales force expansion to support growth [21][23] Question: Is compute the top priority for the company? - Both security and compute are considered equally important, with significant investments being made in both areas [25][26] Question: How is AI impacting the security landscape? - AI has increased the sophistication of attacks and the demand for specialized security solutions [53][55] Question: What is the outlook for the delivery business? - The company aims to stabilize the delivery business and improve traffic growth, with expectations for better pricing dynamics [65][68]