Cisco Acquires Astrix Security to Bolster AI Agent Defenses
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Cisco Systems has agreed to acquire Astrix Security, a startup focused on securing non-human identities used by AI agents in enterprise systems, Network World reported.
The acquisition reflects Cisco’s intent to build out its security portfolio for the agentic AI market, where autonomous software agents increasingly operate across enterprise systems with their own credentials and access privileges.
Astrix Security has focused on securing machine-to-machine connections and non-human identities — the service accounts, API keys, and tokens that AI agents use to interact with enterprise software. As companies deploy more autonomous AI systems, the attack surface created by these non-human identities has become a growing concern for chief information security officers.
Financial terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed.
The move comes as enterprise adoption of agentic AI accelerates across industries. Unlike traditional AI tools that respond to individual prompts, agentic systems operate with greater autonomy, executing multi-step tasks and accessing multiple enterprise applications — often with broad permissions that security teams struggle to monitor and govern.
For Cisco, which has invested heavily in security through previous acquisitions including Splunk, the Astrix deal would extend those capabilities to cover the non-human identity landscape. The company’s existing security portfolio spans network security, identity management, and threat detection.
The acquisition also reflects a broader industry trend. Major enterprise infrastructure vendors are working to address AI agent security as organizations move from pilot programs to production deployments. The challenge of managing permissions, monitoring behavior, and ensuring compliance for autonomous AI systems has emerged as a key concern in enterprise technology.
Industry analysts have identified non-human identity security as one of the fastest-growing segments in cybersecurity, driven by the proliferation of AI agents, automated workflows, and machine-to-machine integrations across cloud environments.
Cisco has not yet detailed how Astrix’s technology will be integrated into its existing product lineup or provided a timeline for closing the transaction.
