Insight: The double-edged sword that is agentic AI
Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally reshaping the cyberthreat landscape by automating what were once highly manual, resource-intensive attacks. Instead of relying on human operators, AI-driven agents can self-direct, adapt in real time and scale across multiple targets simultaneously.
This adaptability and increased agility are proving to be both a gift and a curse in cybersecurity, providing good actors with better tools to handle increased threats, while giving the bad actors new tools to exploit security weaknesses.
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On the flipside, agentic AI also poses great opportunities for businesses to streamline and enhance their own cybersecurity efforts, as long as the appropriate safeguards are in place.
“SMEs should treat agentic AI the same way they treat cloud or AI adoption: start small, scale responsibly and always with security in mind. Cloud-native platforms already provide secure environments affordably, so SMEs can focus on choosing AI services with proven compliance certifications.” – Kew, KewMann
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Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What is Agentic AI in cybersecurity?
Agentic AI refers to AI systems that can plan, make decisions and coordinate actions across cybersecurity workflows. Depending on their permissions, they can monitor activity, investigate anomalies, recommend responses and in some cases initiate defensive actions.
How can Agentic AI increase cybersecurity risk?
Agentic AI can increase cybersecurity risk by allowing attackers to automate reconnaissance, phishing, credential attacks and other malicious activity at greater speed and scale. Adaptive agents can also change tactics based on how security systems respond.
How can Agentic AI improve cyber defence?
Agentic AI can continuously monitor behaviour, identify unusual activity and prioritise higher-risk alerts. It can also support faster responses by restricting access, escalating incidents or triggering predefined defensive actions when appropriate.
Why is human oversight important for Agentic AI?
Human oversight helps ensure that high-impact actions remain explainable, accountable and aligned with organisational policies. This is especially important when an AI agent can block access, alter systems or take actions that affect customers or employees.
What AI security controls should organisations use?
Important controls include access restrictions, audit logs, human approval for higher-risk actions, data governance, continuous monitoring, secure execution environments and clearly defined limits on what AI agents are allowed to do. The full Edge article also highlights continuous verification and strong identity controls.
How should SMEs adopt Agentic AI securely?
SMEs should begin with focused use cases, limit permissions, choose services with appropriate security and compliance controls, and expand only after governance and monitoring processes are in place. The article specifically recommends starting small and scaling responsibly with security built in from the beginning.
