- According to a report, AI agents pose internal risks due to unsupervised access and lack of visibility controls.
- 66% of major data loss events come from careless employees or third-party contractors
- Proofpoint recommends adaptive, behavior-aware security to protect both human and AI activities.
As companies rush to deploy generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) and AI agents, they face the same issues that come with quickly implementing any new technology: risks of spills, leaks and data breaches.
A new Proofpoint report claims that “agent workspaces” constitute a new class of insider risks, rivaling in severity even human error. Two in five organizations surveyed said data loss through public or enterprise GenAI tools was a major concern, while more than a third said they were concerned about the use of sensitive data in AI training.
AI agents often operate as privileged superusers, the report further explains, which only makes matters worse. More than a third (38%) flagged unsupervised access to data by AI agents as a “critical threat,” and 54% said they lack sufficient visibility and controls over Gen AI tools. In other words, AI agents are left to their own devices, which creates problems.
Test the limits
“We have entered a new era of data security where insider threats, relentless data growth and AI-driven changes are testing the limits of traditional defenses,” said Ryan Kalember, chief strategy officer at Proofpoint.
“Fragmented tools and limited visibility leave organizations exposed. The future of data protection depends on unified, AI-powered solutions that understand content and context, adapt in real time, and secure insights into human and agent activity.”
Although AI is a problem, humans remain the weakest link in this cybersecurity chain. Two-thirds (66%) of organizations attribute their biggest data losses to “careless employees” and third-party contractors, while 31% cite compromised users. A third (33%) pointed the finger at malicious insiders.
To mitigate threats from humans and AI agents, Proofpoint advises moving toward behavioral cybersecurity and analytics: “Just 1% of users are responsible for 76% of data loss events, highlighting the importance of adaptive, behavior-aware security strategies,” it says.
Reportedly, two-thirds (65%) have already deployed AI-enhanced data security capabilities.
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