CONNECT
As artificial intelligence evolves, one of the most transformative developments is the rise of agentic AI solutions—systems powered by Large Language Models (LLMs) that can autonomously plan, execute, and adapt tasks across a range of software environments. More than just chatbots or virtual assistants, these agents represent a shift toward intelligent systems that can automate real work. For organizations seeking to measure and manage cyber risk in dynamic environments, agentic AI could be a game-changer.
At their core, agentic AI systems go beyond simple input-output prompts and singular instances of LLM agents. They incorporate planning modules, memory architectures, and tool integrations to autonomously handle complex workflows. Agentic systems can also continuously update their state based on new information and adapt its behavior across sessions.
A defining feature is their ability to decompose high-level goals into sub-tasks, assign them to specialized sub-agents, and execute multi-step processes with reflection and error correction. This makes them highly suitable for domains like cybersecurity, where threats evolve quickly and decision-making must be both proactive and reactive.
Modern cyber risk management demands more than static control assessments—it requires contextual understanding of the threat landscape. Agentic AI systems can synthesize external threat intelligence (e.g., APT campaigns, CVE trends, regional attack vectors) with internal exposure data (e.g., asset classification, control efficacy, residual risk levels) to generate dynamic risk profiles.
Instead of focusing solely on real-time response, these agents evaluate whether existing security controls are aligned with the organization’s threat exposure and business objectives. For example, an AI agent could detect a rise in ransomware activity targeting similar industry verticals, assess the organization's backup and segmentation controls, and recommend strategic investments or compensating controls. This continuous, intelligence-informed recalibration of risk posture enables security leaders to prioritize actions, allocate budgets efficiently, and justify decisions in terms of measurable risk reduction.
Agentic AI can also automate the enforcement and documentation of cyber controls. Imagine an agent that interfaces with your cloud infrastructure, reviews IAM policies, applies remediation scripts, and logs each step in an audit-ready format. By combining planning (what to do), action-taking (how to do it), and memory (what was done), these agents can maintain system hygiene autonomously.
Moreover, agents can be designed to calculate and update risk scores in real time. Instead of static GRC dashboards, an agentic system might use live data from across your infrastructure to adjust risk postures based on exploitability, business impact, and threat actor behavior. This enables more responsive, threat-informed decision-making.
Through a variety of means! A critical enabler of agentic AI’s utility in cyber risk management is interoperability. Protocols like the Model Communication Protocol (MCP) are designed to facilitate secure and structured interactions between AI agents and enterprise systems. MCP and similar frameworks allow agents to act as middleware that can retrieve data, initiate actions, and receive results across diverse platforms—without requiring brittle point-to-point integrations.
This is essential in cyber environments where tools like Jira, Slack, AWS, M365, and custom APIs need to be part of the risk equation. Agentic AI systems can serve as connective tissue between these tools, ensuring context flows between detection, analysis, and remediation layers.
Ultimately, agentic AI is not just a tool—it’s a new operating layer. It blends insights, execution, and coordination into a unified framework that responds as your risk landscape changes. Rather than static checklists and delayed audits, agentic systems enable a continuous view of cyber risk, tightly integrated with operations.
It won't happen overnight, but the trend is already beginning. By harnessing AI into agentic systems, organizations will have an easier, more effective time developing continuous insight, real-time control automation, and protocol-driven integration. All of this combining to allow security teams to scale their impact and focus human expertise where it matters most, and IT leaders and executives to focus their investments wisely and effectively.