AI Redefines Enterprise Security Perimeter, Warns Cisco Expert

Cisco's Ninad Katkar notes that AI agents are rewriting the enterprise security perimeter. With AI moving from generating content to taking actions across enterprise systems, security is shifting from protecting infrastructure to governing machine-led decisions.

This shift places greater emphasis on visibility, identity, and resilience for Indian enterprises, particularly as cloud environments become more distributed and AI adoption expands. Katkar points out that many CIOs still treat AI as just another application rather than a new operating model, which can lead to significant security risks.

Cisco's Cybersecurity Readiness Index found that 95% of organisations had experienced AI-related security incidents in the past year, while 96% were using AI to understand threats and 88% for threat detection. Katkar emphasizes the need for organisations to focus on both AI for security and security for AI.

The traditional enterprise perimeter has effectively disappeared, according to Katkar, as applications are distributed across clouds, employees work from anywhere, and AI agents become active participants in business processes. This requires a new approach to security, with connectivity and protection needing to operate through a shared context and policy framework.