AI Agents Raise Cybersecurity Concerns Amid Rapid Enterprise Adoption

A growing number of organizations are adopting autonomous AI agents despite widespread concerns about the cybersecurity risks they pose. According to a new global report released by identity security firm SailPoint, this accelerated deployment is happening in a largely unregulated environment. The findings are based on a survey of more than 350 IT professionals, revealing that 84% of respondents said their organizations already use AI agents internally. 

However, only 44% confirmed the presence of any formal policies to regulate the agents’ actions.

AI agents differ from traditional chatbots in that they are designed to independently plan and execute tasks without constant human direction. Since the emergence of generative AI tools like ChatGPT in late 2022, major tech companies have been racing to launch their own agents. Many smaller businesses have followed suit, motivated by the desire for operational efficiency and the pressure to adopt what is widely viewed as a transformative technology.
 

Despite this enthusiasm, 96% of survey participants acknowledged that these autonomous systems pose security risks, while 98% stated their organizations plan to expand AI agent usage within the next year. The report warns that these agents often have extensive access to sensitive systems and information, making them a new and significant attack surface for cyber threats.

Chandra Gnanasambandam, SailPoint’s Executive Vice President of Product and Chief Technology Officer, emphasized the risks associated with suc

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