Cybersecurity in the Age of AI: Key Takeaways from Our SDA Pacific Northwest Presentation

On September 15, EXP Technical had the opportunity to present Cybersecurity in the Age of AI for the Society for Design Administration Pacific Northwest Chapter. The virtual session brought together firm administrators, operations professionals, technology leaders, and business leaders from the architecture, engineering, and construction community to discuss a topic that is changing how organizations think about risk.

The presentation, delivered by Kelly Paletta and Tony Lesirge, examined how artificial intelligence is transforming both cybersecurity threats and cybersecurity defenses, and what organizations should consider as they adopt AI tools within their businesses. Additional information about the event is available on the official SDA Pacific Northwest event page.

AI Has Changed the Threat Landscape

Many of us remember when phishing emails were relatively easy to spot. Poor grammar, strange formatting, and unbelievable stories were often enough to reveal a scam.

Today, those warning signs are disappearing.

AI tools allow attackers to generate messages that are polished, professional, and highly personalized. Instead of looking suspicious, many phishing emails now resemble legitimate business communications involving invoices, project updates, vendor requests, or executive correspondence. The result is a threat landscape where trust and verification matter more than ever.

During the session, we discussed how AI is making phishing, social engineering, and business email compromise attacks more convincing while lowering the technical barriers for cybercriminals. Organizations can no longer assume that obvious mistakes will expose a fraudulent message.

Implications for Architecture and Engineering Firms

Many of the questions raised during the presentation reflected challenges we regularly see within architecture, engineering, and construction organizations.

Design firms manage large volumes of intellectual property, project documentation, financial information, and client communications. At the same time, employees are increasingly experimenting with AI tools to improve productivity and streamline repetitive tasks.

These technologies offer significant opportunities, but they also create new considerations around data governance, cybersecurity policies, and employee education.

Organizations that are evaluating AI should understand what information employees may enter into AI systems, establish clear usage guidelines, and ensure that sensitive business information remains protected. For firms looking to strengthen their technology strategy, cybersecurity program, or IT planning, EXP Technical provides specialized IT services for architecture, engineering, and construction firms.

Cybersecurity Fundamentals Still Matter

Although AI is changing the cybersecurity landscape, many of the most effective defenses remain familiar.

Throughout the presentation, we emphasized practical steps organizations can take today:

• Verify unexpected requests through a second communication channel.
• Train employees to recognize phishing and social engineering tactics.
• Establish clear policies governing AI usage.
• Protect sensitive business information.
• Build repeatable processes for reviewing unusual requests.

One of the central themes of the discussion was that cybersecurity is not solely a technology issue. Security depends on a combination of technology, policies, processes, and informed employees who know when to slow down and ask questions.

The Human Element Remains Critical

As AI continues to improve, organizations will need to focus not only on technical safeguards but also on employee awareness.

Technology can block many threats, but employees remain the final line of defense against phishing, social engineering, and business email compromise attacks. Ongoing education and security awareness training help employees recognize risk and make better decisions when faced with increasingly convincing messages.

That reality is one of the reasons EXP Technical continues to invest in cybersecurity education through EXP Academy and other client learning initiatives.

Thank You to SDA Pacific Northwest

We appreciate the invitation from the Society for Design Administration Pacific Northwest Chapter and the opportunity to speak with professionals from across the design community. The discussion reinforced something we see every day: organizations want to take advantage of AI’s benefits while ensuring they do so responsibly and securely.

Artificial intelligence will continue to reshape business operations in the years ahead. Organizations that pair innovation with sound cybersecurity practices will be best positioned to take advantage of these new technologies while reducing unnecessary risk.