According to Cisco’s upcoming 2025 Cybersecurity Readiness Index, an alarming 86% of organisations have experienced AI-related security incidents in the past year. This highlights the urgent need for enhanced security measures as businesses increasingly integrate AI technologies into their operations.
Cisco made some recent announcements o address these challenges through advanced tools and ecosystem partnerships.
Enhanced threat detection and response
One of the key innovations is the integration of Cisco XDR (Extended Detection and Response) with Splunk Security, which aims to simplify threat detection and response using cutting-edge agentic AI. Cisco XDR correlates data across various sources, such as networks, endpoints, and cloud services, to surface the most critical threats.
The new Instant Attack Verification feature, powered by agentic AI, enables security teams to swiftly investigate and confirm threats, automating responses to mitigate risks effectively.
The automated XDR Forensics capabilities provide deeper insights into endpoint activities, enhancing the accuracy of investigations. With features like the XDR Storyboard, security teams can visualise complex attacks, facilitating quicker understanding and response to threats.
Strengthening partnerships for secure AI adoption
Cisco has also deepened its partnership with ServiceNow to support secure AI adoption at scale. This collaboration aims to integrate Cisco AI Defense with ServiceNow SecOps, creating a more holistic approach to AI risk management. As organisations increasingly rely on AI, the need for effective governance and risk management becomes paramount.
Cisco also introduced Foundation AI, a team focused on developing open-source tools specifically designed to enhance security applications in the AI era. Their inaugural offering is an open-source reasoning model that aims to democratise AI security, providing essential resources for cybersecurity teams.
Addressing supply chain risks
Cisco has also introduced a set of AI Supply Chain Risk Management controls. These measures aim to secure AI application artifacts and protect enterprises from vulnerabilities, including malware embedded in AI models and compromised data sets.
By proactively identifying and blocking malicious AI model files, organisations can significantly reduce their risk exposure before deployment.
Industrial IoT security enhancements
As digitisation accelerates, Cisco has also enhanced its Industrial Threat Defense solution. New integrations with Cisco Cyber Vision and Splunk are designed to improve visibility and security across operational technology (OT) environments.
These advancements help organisations prioritise cyber risks and automate network segmentation, ensuring that critical infrastructure remains secure amid increasing cyber threats.