Cisco to acquire Astrix Security to bolster AI agent defenses

Cisco Systems Inc. announced its intent to acquire Israeli cybersecurity firm Astrix Security Ltd. to enhance the security of artificial intelligence agents. The startup's platform identifies, manages, and secures AI agents operating in production environments. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but reports suggest a valuation around $300 million, as reported by Silicon Angle.

The acquisition aims to integrate Astrix's capabilities, particularly its focus on "non-human identities" like machine-to-machine connections, into Cisco's Identity Intelligence platform. This will strengthen visibility and context for identities within the Cisco Security ecosystem, extending to zero-trust offerings like Cisco Secure Access and Duo. Astrix's software provides real-time inventory and context for AI agents, MCP servers, and non-human identities (NHIs), enabling security teams to understand and mitigate risks. This includes discovering and governing AI agents, managing their access and lifecycle, and detecting threats.

Cisco highlighted a significant gap in current AI agent security, with only 24% of businesses having proper guardrails and monitoring. This move follows Cisco's recent acquisition of Galileo Technologies Inc. and the debut of new AI agent security features and tools like Duo IAM and DefenseClaw at the RSAC 2026 Conference.

Source: Silicon Angle