The AI That Never Sleeps: When Machines Start Making Cyber Security Decisions

The Rise of Agentic AI in Cybersecurity: From Sci-Fi to Reality

Imagine this: It’s 3 AM. While you’re fast asleep, your company’s systems detect a serious security breach at one of your key business partners. Before you even wake up, an AI system has already taken action. It’s blocked data access to prevent further damage, contacted the partner to investigate, started damage control, and even begun renegotiating your contract. Sounds like science fiction, right? Not anymore.

The 3 AM Scenario: Is It Real?

Maria: Monika, this sounds incredible. Is AI really doing all this in cybersecurity today? Are these «agentic AI» ­systems actually being used?
Monika: We’re in a fascinating transition phase. Some top cybersecurity companies have started using agentic AI – systems that can act independently. Others claim to offer fully automated tools for managing third-party risks. But let’s be honest: most of what’s available today focuses on specific tasks. The kind of full autonomy I described in the 3 AM scenario is still rare.

Surveys show that about 59% of organizations are still working on integrating agentic AI into their cybersecurity strategies. Most companies begin with simpler tools – like automated partner discovery, risk scoring, and basic alert handling. Features like automatic contract negotiation and instant partner blocking are being developed, but they’re not widely used yet.


Maria: So is that 3 AM scenario real or still just a dream?
Monika: It’s real – but in simpler forms. Many companies already use agentic AI to automatically quarantine suspicious emails or block access to compromised accounts. Leading platforms report that these systems can detect threats 50% faster and respond twice as quickly as traditional methods.

However, full autonomy – where AI makes complex decisions like renegotiating contracts without human input – is still experimental. Most systems today have built-in safety checks and ­require human approval for major decisions.

How Agentic AI Works

Maria: How do these agentic AI ­systems actually work?
Monika: They’re great at scanning huge amounts of data: from the open web, the dark web, and technical feeds. They look for signs like data leaks, fake domains, or exposed infrastructure. By piecing these signals together, the AI builds a live risk profile for each vendor. Think of it as a constantly updated ‘credit score’ for security: much faster and more precise than traditional reviews.


The most advanced agentic AI tools can even predict security problems 6 to 12 months in advance with about 73% accuracy. That gives companies time to prepare and adjust their strategies.

What about Mistakes?

Maria: What happens if the AI makes a mistake?
Monika: That’s a serious concern. Most systems today include human oversight to handle legal issues. If an AI quarantines a message or blocks access, companies usually have procedures to reverse those actions and validate them with a human.
But as these systems become more independent, traditional legal models are struggling to keep up. Regulators are starting to create rules for high-risk AI systems, and standards groups are working on guidelines for managing AI risks. Companies have to navigate this evolving legal landscape carefully.


The big challenge is that AI capabilities are advancing faster than the laws and regulations meant to govern them.

Agentic AI in Supply Chain Security

Maria: What are the advantages of Agentic AI in Supply Chain Security?
Monika: Advanced platforms save a lot of time in assessing risks. They scan millions of potential threats and summarize the most important information automatically. This gives companies better insights than traditional methods.

Agentic AI is especially good at spotting vulnerabilities deep in the supply chain – for example, not just your direct suppliers, but also their suppliers or your subsuppliers – ones that humans might never notice.


Some advanced systems can also review contracts and highlight important sections when a partner’s risk level changes. They can calculate penalties, suggest changes, and even draft new contract terms.

But most systems still rely on humans to review and approve these changes. While some platforms claim their AI can handle partner communication automatically, in practice, human oversight is still needed. So full AI-led contract negotiation is more of a future goal than a current reality.

Where is the future?

Maria: What’s next for this technology?
Monika: The future is all about ecosystem intelligence. Instead of looking at individual partners, AI will map entire supply chains. It will show how a security issue in one company can affect many others, giving businesses a clearer view of systemic risks.

We’re also seeing AI predict threats before they happen. Some systems have already stopped cyberattacks by identifying vulnerabilities just before they were exploited. That’s a major shift – from reacting to threats to preventing them.


Another exciting development is collaborative defense. AI systems from different companies are starting to share threat information and coordinate responses automatically. And AI is being used to generate compliance documents that used to take months to prepare.

Risks of Advanced Autonomy

Maria: What are the risks of using such advanced AI?
Monika: The biggest risk is becoming too dependent on systems we don’t fully understand. These AI agents make decisions based on complex patterns that humans can’t easily verify.

There’s also the risk of systemic failure. If one AI system makes a mistake, it could affect many partners at once. That 3 AM scenario could turn into a widespread crisis involving multiple companies.

How to Get Started

Maria: How should companies start using agentic AI?
Monika: Start small. Use AI for clear, limited tasks: finding new partners, assessing basic risks, scanning SOC or ISAE reports. Run pilot programs. Build confidence before you scale up to full autonomy.

It’s also crucial to invest in good data infrastructure. AI is only as good as the data it uses. Companies need clear rules about when AI can act on its own and when humans need to step in.

The Road Ahead

Maria: Where is all this heading?
Monika: In five years, it’ll be nearly impossible to manage cyber risks without agentic AI. The speed and complexity of threats are too much for humans alone.
Companies that build strong AI governance and collaboration models will have a big advantage. They’ll spot threats faster, respond more effectively, and take smart risks that others can’t.

The shift to AI-driven security isn’t optional, it’s inevitable. The companies that prepare now will thrive. The ones that don’t may find out, at 3 AM, that it’s already too late.