AI agents are rapidly evolving from simple text generators into powerful autonomous assistants that can browse the web, book travel, and extract complex data on our behalf. This new “agentic” AI, which operates in a “sense-plan-act” loop, promises to revolutionize how we interact with the digital world.

Remember when we thought the application layer was where all the fun happened? Firewalls, WAFs, EDR, dashboards galore — the entire security industrial complex built around watching what apps do. Well, with “agentic AI” running the show, that middle ground is turning into a bypass lane. Instead of clicking through UIs or APIs, your AI buddy is making direct system calls, automating workflows at the OS and hardware level.

As the summer winds down and conversation around AI Security heats up, the Snyk team is in full swing planning mode for a double-header this October—with the return of DevSecCon’s Flagship conference, focusing this year on Securing the Shift to AI Native, and serving as the founding partner of the inaugural AI Security Summit.

In our last post, we introduced the Model Context Protocol (MCP), the "brain" or "mission briefing" that guides an AI agent's actions. Most security teams are just getting familiar with prompt injection, the equivalent of tricking an AI with a single, misleading command. But that's like stopping a pickpocket at the door when a master spy is already inside, rewriting the mission plans. As AI agents become autonomous, the attacks become more profound.

Penetration testing for eCommerce and retail has become critical as these industries face escalating cyber threats, making them prime targets for attackers seeking financial gain and sensitive customer data. According to IBM’s 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report, the global average cost of a data breach reached $4.44 million.

AI marketing platforms have exploded in popularity, becoming everyday tools for creative teams in enterprises worldwide. Platforms like Simplified AI offer marketers the ability to generate content, clips, and campaigns at scale. For CISOs and IT leaders, approving such services often seems straightforward: allow access, whitelist the domain, and enable the marketing team to innovate.