Cisco Eyes Astrix Deal as AI Agents Trigger New Cybersecurity Risks
Founded in 2021, Astrix built its platform around what it identifies as a critical blind spot in modern cybersecurity, ‘non-human identities.’
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US networking firm Cisco is in advanced talks to acquire Israeli cybersecurity startup Astrix Security in a deal valued between $250 million and $350 million, The Information reported, citing people aware of the developments.
The potential acquisition highlights a growing concern among large technology firms: the rising security risks posed by AI agents operating within enterprise environments.
As firms increasingly deploy AI tools with broad permissions, capable of accessing internal systems, data repositories, and third-party services, traditional cybersecurity frameworks are struggling to keep pace.
Founded in 2021, Astrix Security built its platform around what it identifies as a critical blind spot in modern cybersecurity, “non-human identities,” which include software agents, automated workflows, and AI-driven tools that run independently of human users but often hold extensive access privileges.
Astrix monitors and maps how such agents interact with systems, flags excessive permissions, and detects potentially malicious activity before it escalates into a breach. It also enables secure integration between third-party and in-house applications while maintaining oversight of access controls.
The company was founded by Alon Jackson and Idan Gour, both alumni of Unit 8200, a unit known for producing founders of major cybersecurity firms such as Check Point Software Technologies, Palo Alto Networks, and Wiz.
The Astrix deal, if completed, would align with Cisco’s broader push into AI security and observability. The company recently announced plans to acquire Galileo Technologies Inc., a move aimed at strengthening its capabilities in monitoring and controlling AI systems in production environments.
Cisco intends to integrate Galileo’s technology into its Splunk Observability Cloud platform, enhancing real-time visibility, governance, and guardrails for AI agents.
In a recent blog post, Kamal Hathi, Senior Vice-President and General Manager at Splunk, framed the urgency behind these moves.
“AI is unlocking unprecedented opportunities while also driving unprecedented change,” Hathi wrote, noting that organisations are embedding agentic AI systems into core business processes. This shift, he added, is creating “a new agentic workforce,” where AI systems function as “crucial digital coworkers” alongside humans.
