Security Experts Dire Warning on AI Agents in 2026

AI agents will be one of the biggest new attack vectors for cybercriminals in 2026, experts predict. According to security professionals at Palo Alto Networks, the rise of AI agents opens up a compelling new channel for attackers to exploit.

The study contends that the yawning skills gap in cybersecurity paves the way for mass deployment of AI agents. In turn, this will lead hostile parties to change the point of their attack from humans to the agents themselves. Problematically, these agents are always-on, and are thus always at risk of exploitation.

The experts also predict that this shift in the threat landscape will necessitate a new “non-negotiable category of AI governance tools” to safeguard the agents and provide a kill switch in case they are breached. And with data breaches often proving terminal for a lot of companies, the stakes could not be higher.

Hackers Will Target AI Agents in 2026

Cybersecurity experts predict that AI agents will become a key target for cybercriminals in 2026.

In 6 Predictions for the AI Economy: 2026’s New Rules of Cybersecurity, the study authors draw attention to the massive skills gap in cybersecurity, which currently stands at 4.8 million, arguing that it will lead companies to adopt AI agents at a notable rate.

According to recent research, 88% of cybersecurity professionals have experienced at least one “significant” consequence as a result of this labor crisis. It is expected, therefore, that enterprises will look to AI agents as the silver bullet solution to their security and staffing woes.

The upsides are clear. Agents can resolve service tickets and process complex workflows at a fraction of the speed that humans can. In turn, this will encourage cybercriminals — who are notorious for reinventing their tactics — to switch their focus from human operators to AI agents.

AI Agents Pose Significant Cybersecurity Risks

On the other side of the coin, AI agents command their share of risks. The researchers claim that such models can serve as a potent “insider threat” should they fall into the wrong hands. If misused, they can be granted privileged access to highly sensitive data, including critical APIs, customer information, and cybersecurity infrastructure.

In addition, AI agents are “always on,” meaning that they are vulnerable to hacking at all hours of the day. While humans – and particularly cybersecurity professionals – maintain different working hours, cybercriminals can gain access to an AI agent whenever they please. This makes it simpler for international hackers to target US businesses.

The study further argues that, because of this mass rollout, companies will look to introduce new safeguards to inoculate themselves against the new attack vector. According to the report: “This will be the dividing line between agentic AI success and failure.”

Technology, Education Needed to Combat Security Crisis

With 2026 now underway, the technology sector faces an urgent concern: how to cope with the escalating cybersecurity crisis. AI tools are more embedded into businesses’ workflows than ever, with 28% of employees confirming that they would use them at work even if explicitly prohibited.

While the benefits of ChatGPT and its contemporaries are well-documented, so too are the potential risks. Therefore, businesses are under pressure to not only introduce new technological safeguards but also to upskill their employees on identifying and reporting cyberattacks.

Shockingly, only 2% of senior leaders can identify all the signs of a phishing attack, spotlighting a problem that exists right across the business. If we are to turn the tide on hackers, we need to adopt a two-pronged approach that emphasizes investment in new technology and improving our collective cybersecurity smarts.