AI agents have become a crucial part of enterprises, with up to 79% of surveyed companies implementing them, as reported by PwC. However, along with their benefits, AI agents also bring new security risks. When an agentic AI breach occurs, companies often react by firing employees and assigning blame, but fail to address the systemic failures that allowed the breach to happen.
Forrester’s Predictions 2026: Cybersecurity and Risk report forecasts a challenging year ahead for CISOs, especially those in globally competitive organizations. Governments are expected to tighten regulations on critical communication infrastructure, while the EU may establish its own vulnerability database, necessitating the recruitment of regionalized security professionals.
One of the key challenges for CISOs in 2026 is the threat of agentic AI breaches and weaponized AI. These breaches can disrupt operations and violate regulatory mandates, posing a significant risk to enterprises. To address these threats, CISOs are adopting advanced AI Security Posture Management (AI-SPM) to ensure continuous risk monitoring, data protection, and regulatory compliance.
Clearwater Analytics’ CISO, Sam Evans, shared his approach to mitigating agentic AI threats, emphasizing the importance of protecting customer data and intellectual property. By implementing solutions like enterprise browsers and platforms like Island, organizations can enhance their security posture and prevent data breaches.
In a rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape, CISOs are under pressure to secure AI and agentic AI applications while enabling productivity and innovation. The speed of cyberattacks necessitates rapid analysis and response, highlighting the need for proactive security measures.
Walmart’s CISO, Jerry R. Geisler III, focuses on innovation to enhance the company’s cybersecurity defenses. By adopting a startup mindset and continually modernizing their security controls, Walmart is able to stay ahead of emerging threats and contribute to the company’s growth.
To counter agentic AI threats, CISOs are implementing seven key strategies, including enhancing visibility, reinforcing API security, managing autonomous identities, and upgrading to real-time observability. By proactively addressing these challenges, enterprises can safeguard against potential agentic AI attacks and maintain a secure operational environment.
As agentic AI continues to reshape the threat landscape, organizations must prioritize governance, incident response preparedness, and adaptability to mitigate risks effectively. By incorporating these strategies into their security frameworks, CISOs can navigate the evolving cybersecurity landscape and stay ahead of emerging threats.
