Cisco security was expanded today as the company announced a major evolution of its portfolio to help enterprises adopt agentic AI safely. The updates combine agent protection, interaction governance, and resilient connectivity for AI-driven workflows. Cisco reported that as organizations move from AI assistants to autonomous agents using tools and data across hybrid environments, security teams need to strengthen defenses, govern agent interactions, and maintain reliable, cryptographically protected connectivity at scale.

Jeetu Patel, Cisco’s President and Chief Product Officer, revealed, “In the age of AI, safety and security are pre-requisites for adoption. AI agents bring new challenges. We are developing protections that prevent agents from being compromised and control what they can access on our behalf.”

The new Cisco AI Defense features include:

• AI BOM (Bill of Materials) for centralized visibility and governance of AI software assets and third-party dependencies.
• MCP Catalog for discovering and managing risk across MCP servers and registries.
• Advanced algorithmic red teaming and real-time agentic guardrails to detect unsafe behavior and reduce compromise risks.

Cisco also reported updates to AI workflow management through Cisco SASE, including AI traffic optimization, intent-aware inspection, and unified policy enforcement across SD-WAN and SSE. These measures aim to govern agent interactions and ensure reliable AI communications.

To support connectivity at scale, Cisco unveiled IOS XE 26, powering its Cisco 8000 Series Secure Routers, C9000 Series Smart Switches, and new 8100 Series Secure Routers for small and mid-size businesses. The update delivers post-quantum cryptography protections to defend against device tampering and data compromise, aligning with global regulatory guidance.

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