Inside Stairwell: Mike Wiacek on Rethinking Cyber Defense

In a new Unite.AI interview, Stairwell founder Mike Wiacek explains why defenders keep falling behind and what needs to change.

Most security tools chase logs, alerts, and behavior. But attackers are already moving faster, hiding in plain sight with polymorphic malware and dormant payloads that evade detection.

Mike lays out Stairwell’s mission: give defenders a permanent advantage by transforming the problem from reaction to search. “Security isn’t just about watching what happens. It’s about knowing what’s already there.”

In this wide-ranging conversation, Mike shares how his experience at Google and Chronicle shaped Stairwell’s philosophy—and why the future of defense starts with visibility into your own files.