Cybersecurity experts have issued a stark warning predicting that AI Agents will be a central target for hackers in 2026. According to research by Palo Alto Networks security professionals, the cybersecurity skills gap, which currently stands at 4.8 million people, will drive large-scale deployments of AI Agents in organizations, prompting attackers to shift the focus of their attacks from human operators to the AI Agents themselves.
Key Risk Points:
Continuous Online Vulnerability: AI Agents run 24/7 and are at risk of being exploited at any time, and international hackers can attack U.S. companies regardless of time zones.
Insider Threat Amplification: Compromised AI Agents May Gain Elevated Access to Critical APIs, Customer Information, and Cybersecurity Infrastructure
Lack of governance tools: the report emphasizes the need for a new "non-negotiable category of AI governance tools", including security agents and emergency cut-off switches.
Experts predict that this will be "the dividing line between the success and failure of smart-body AI."