The Dual Impact of Agentic AI on Cybersecurity: A Benefit and a Threat

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way we approach cybersecurity—for better and for worse. While AI-powered tools can detect threats faster, respond to attacks in real-time, and improve security for businesses and individuals, they are also being weaponized by cybercriminals.

This is particularly relevant for agentic AI, a type of AI capable of operating autonomously, making independent decisions, and adjusting to new circumstances. While this innovation offers tremendous potential, it also introduces significant risks. What happens when AI makes an error? Or worse, when cybercriminals exploit AI for malicious purposes? Organizations leveraging Nakivo and other advanced cybersecurity solutions must consider these challenges to stay ahead of evolving threats.

In this article, we’ll explore the double-edged nature of agentic AI in cybersecurity, how it’s helping businesses protect themselves, and the serious threats it introduces.

The Upside: How Agentic AI is Strengthening Cybersecurity

Agentic AI is helping businesses and security teams stay ahead of cyber threats in ways that were impossible before. Instead of relying on human experts to manually analyze security risks, AI can take action on its own, offering faster responses, smarter detection, and round-the-clock protection. Here’s how:

1. Detecting Cyber Threats Before They Become Attacks One of AI’s biggest strengths is pattern recognition. Instead of waiting for a cyberattack to happen, AI can analyze millions of data points in real time, spotting unusual activity that may indicate an incoming attack. This allows companies to:

✅ Catch threats before they escalate.
✅ Detect zero-day vulnerabilities (security flaws that no one has seen before).
✅ Stop hackers from sneaking into systems unnoticed.

This ability to predict and prevent is what makes AI such a valuable cybersecurity tool.

1. Automating Cyberattack Responses In the past, security teams had to manually investigate potential attacks before taking action. This delay often gave hackers time to steal data, shut down systems, or cause damage.

Agentic AI speeds up this process by:

✅ Blocking suspicious activities automatically—without waiting for human approval.
✅ Isolating infected devices before malware spreads to an entire network.
✅ Identifying and fixing vulnerabilities before hackers can exploit them.

For businesses, this means faster reaction times and less downtime when dealing with security threats.

1. Reducing Workload for Cybersecurity Teams Cybersecurity teams are under constant pressure. Every day, they deal with thousands of security alerts, investigate potential breaches, and try to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. AI helps by:

✅ Filtering out false alarms, so human experts focus only on real threats.
✅ Automating repetitive security tasks, like scanning for malware and updating firewalls.
✅ Providing real-time insights, so security teams can make better decisions.

By letting AI handle the heavy lifting, businesses can boost their cybersecurity without hiring large security teams.

1. Learning and Evolving Over Time Cyber threats are always changing, but so is AI. The more agentic AI analyzes threats, the better it gets at predicting and stopping new attacks. Unlike traditional security systems that need constant updates, AI can:

✅ Learn from past cyberattacks and improve its defense strategies.
✅ Spot new hacking techniques that haven’t been seen before.
✅ Adjust security protocols automatically to stay ahead of cybercriminals.

This self-learning capability makes AI a powerful tool in the fight against cybercrime.

The Downside: The Dark Side of Agentic AI in Cybersecurity
While AI is helping businesses strengthen their cybersecurity, it’s also making cyberattacks more dangerous, harder to detect, and nearly impossible to stop once they start. Here’s how:

1. Hackers Are Using AI to Launch Smarter Cyberattacks If cybersecurity teams can use AI to detect attacks, hackers can use AI to create better attacks. In fact, AI-powered hacking tools are already being used to:

❌ Create highly convincing phishing scams. AI can generate emails and messages that look exactly like real ones, tricking people into revealing passwords or financial details.
❌ Develop malware that changes itself to avoid detection. Traditional antivirus software can’t stop these attacks because the malware keeps evolving.
❌ Automate large-scale cyberattacks. AI-driven bots can launch millions of attacks at once, overwhelming security systems.

For businesses, this means more advanced, harder-to-detect threats—and a need for stronger security measures.

1. AI Can Make Costly Mistakes Agentic AI is smart, but it’s not perfect. If not properly trained, it can make wrong decisions, such as:

❌ Blocking legitimate users from accessing systems, mistaking them for hackers.
❌ Missing real cyber threats due to biased or incomplete training data.
❌ Shutting down critical business operations in response to a false alarm.

Relying too much on AI without human oversight can create major security and operational problems.

1. AI Can Be Hacked and Manipulated AI systems are not immune to cyberattacks. Hackers can:

❌ Feed AI false data to make it ignore real threats.
❌ Exploit weaknesses in AI systems to take control of them.
❌ Use AI-powered deepfake technology to impersonate employees or executives and gain unauthorized access.

If businesses don’t take proper security measures, AI itself can become a vulnerability instead of a solution.

How Businesses Can Protect Themselves
Given AI’s potential and its risks, companies need a balanced approach to cybersecurity. Here’s how businesses can leverage AI while staying safe:

✅ 1. AI Should Assist, Not Replace, Human Experts
AI is powerful, but it should work alongside cybersecurity teams—not replace them. Human oversight ensures AI decisions are accurate, ethical, and effective.

✅ 2. AI-Driven Security Must Be Constantly Monitored
Companies should:

Regularly test AI-driven security systems to ensure they’re functioning correctly.
Implement fail-safe mechanisms, so AI doesn’t make critical mistakes.
Keep AI models updated to recognize the latest cyber threats.
✅ 3. Train Employees on AI-Powered Cyber Threats
Businesses should educate employees on:

How AI-generated phishing emails and scams work.
The risks of deepfake technology and impersonation attacks.
How to identify and report AI-driven threats.
✅ 4. Strengthen AI Security Protocols
Companies should:

Use multi-layered security defenses that don’t rely solely on AI.
Encrypt sensitive data so even if AI is hacked, critical information stays safe.
Follow AI ethics and security regulations to minimize risks.