Barracuda’s Sunil Kumar honored as a top AI leader: A Conversation on AI and cybersecurity

We are thrilled to share that Sunil Kumar, vice president of Advanced Technology at Barracuda, has been named to Channel Insider’s 2025 AI Leaders in the Channel list. This new award spotlights executives who are driving innovation and making a significant impact through AI in the channel.

We had the opportunity to sit down with Sunil to discuss his thoughts on AI in cybersecurity and what this recognition means to him.

Q&A with Sunil Kumar

Q: How is AI changing the cybersecurity landscape?

Sunil Kumar: AI is fundamentally reshaping the cybersecurity landscape. For Barracuda, it’s a force multiplier — enabling faster detection, deeper insights and more proactive defense. We’ve embedded AI across our portfolio — from spear phishing detection and bot protection to anomaly detection in Barracuda Managed XDR and real-time sentiment analysis in SOC workflows. These capabilities allow us to respond to threats in seconds, not minutes.

It’s crucial to understand that AI is not only changing our approach to security but also enabling cybercriminals to scale attacks, craft more convincing phishing lures and automate reconnaissance. For instance, we’ve seen a rise in sophisticated attacks that utilize AI, making it essential for us as a cybersecurity company to leverage AI to counter these threats and protect our customers.

Q: What new attacks are you seeing?

Sunil Kumar: One of the most concerning new attack vectors is prompt injection. These can come through emails, where attackers craft messages that appear benign but contain hidden malicious instructions designed to manipulate an AI-powered system.

For example, an email assistant or a chatbot integrated into your workflow can execute the malicious prompt, leading to security breach, data theft or system manipulation.

This is a significant challenge that security companies need to address moving forward.

Q: As companies start using AI tools, what common mistakes should they be aware of?

Sunil Kumar: A critical mistake is treating AI as a plug-and-play solution. AI is powerful, but it must be implemented thoughtfully. One common pitfall is overlooking data governance — connecting systems without clear boundaries can lead to unintended exposure of sensitive information.

Foster a culture of learning and collaboration across the organization to understand the implications of AI-enabled tools and discover blind spots. For instance, if a new tool is implemented without being looked at through a security and compliance lens, it could inadvertently make data easily accessible to people who shouldn’t have it.

Q: How can companies ensure they are using AI tools safely?

Sunil Kumar: Trust in AI systems is big challenge. Diligently build AI systems that are grounded in trusted data and are explainable, secure and aligned with business goals. It’s essential to document what data needs to be connected and what should remain isolated. Communication and partnership across the company is key to making informed decisions about data access and AI.

As AI becomes more embedded in product and business operations, guard against model drift, bias and adversarial manipulation.

Q: How do you feel about being included on Channel Insider’s list of AI leaders?

Sunil Kumar:   I’m truly humbled and honored to be recognized in this way. This recognition reflects the collective vision and effort of our teams at Barracuda. As the landscape evolves rapidly, it’s crucial for us to stay ahead of the curve, and this recognition is a testament to the hard work and collaboration that has gone into our AI initiatives. We remain committed to pushing the boundaries and delivering solutions that make a real difference for our customers and partners.