Michael Novinson (MichaelNovinson) • December 23, 2025

A digital double can take twice the trouble. That is - a virtual replica of an organization's IT infrastructure allows for the dynamic deployment of simulations and proactive defenses, said Trend Micro COO Kevin Simzer.

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Red-teaming is traditionally constrained by operational risks. But with digital twin technology, Simzer said even the most sensitive systems can be probed by pen testers, since there's no risk to production infrastructure. Enterprises with digital twin environments can conduct what-if analyses, model the impact of architectural changes and test new security controls without real-world consequences (see: Cybersecurity Trends: Impact of Tariffs and Data Sovereignty).

"We grab telemetry from all over an enterprise's environment," Simzer said. "Now that we have this telemetry, we could instantiate a complete virtual representation of a company's IT infrastructure. Imagine the prompts that you can give that digital twin environment. Red-teaming has no boundaries. It can actually cover the entire IT landscape and give you incredible insights and visibility."

In this video interview with Information Security Media Group, Simzer also discussed:

• Introduction of agentic capabilities to automate SIEM integration;
• Building proprietary AI models using Trend's historical knowledge;
• Implications of autonomous AI threat actors on enterprise readiness.

Simzer leads the sales, marketing and business development initiatives at Trend Micro. He has more than 25 years of experience in information security, software product development, mergers and acquisitions, corporate strategy and P&L. Prior to Trend Micro, he was the COO of Entrust, where he was responsible for product development, technical service, marketing and managed services.

• Security Operations
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About the Author

Michael Novinson

Executive Editor, Business, ISMG

Novinson is responsible for covering the vendor and technology landscape. Prior to joining ISMG, he spent four and a half years covering all the major cybersecurity vendors at CRN, with a focus on their programs and offerings for IT service providers. He was recognized for his breaking news coverage of the August 2019 coordinated ransomware attack against local governments in Texas as well as for his continued reporting around the SolarWinds hack in late 2020 and early 2021.