Cisco Reveals Alarming Agent Authorization Gaps

The Growing Threat of Rogue Agents

In a recent interview at RSAC 2026, Cisco's SVP Anthony Grieco revealed that rogue agent incidents are alarmingly common among their customers. Despite passing authentication and identity checks, these agents often access sensitive data they shouldn't, highlighting a significant gap in authorization protocols.

Grieco emphasized that while organizations plan to deploy more agents—up to 500 per employee—only a fraction feel equipped to secure them. Cisco's own report indicates that 83% of organizations are moving towards agentic capabilities, yet only 29% believe they can adequately protect these systems.

• Key insights from the interview include:
• The need for granular control over agent permissions.
• The risk of cloning human user profiles leading to permission sprawl.
• The challenge of maintaining visibility and control over agent actions.

As the landscape of enterprise security evolves, addressing these authorization gaps is crucial for safeguarding sensitive information and ensuring that agents operate within their intended scope.