Businesses are rapidly moving from simple AI chatbots (“AI that talks”) to autonomous agents that can handle real tasks such as processing invoices, updating records, or running workflows on their own (“AI that acts”).

This shift delivers major gains in speed and efficiency — but it also creates serious new risks: agents can accidentally (or maliciously) leak sensitive data, get hijacked, or cause expensive errors. Most companies today can monitor what AI says, but they lack control over what AI actually does. (Palo Alto Networks, “Securing the AI Enterprise”).

At RSAC 2026, Palo Alto Networks introduced practical tools that directly solve these operational and financial risks, helping companies adopt AI faster while protecting revenue, reputation, and compliance.

The Shashi Take

The real test for AI is economic and operational. Companies expect lower costs and faster results from agentic workflows, but one data breach, rogue agent, or website outage can erase those gains and damage customer trust.

Palo Alto’s solutions embed security where the work happens — in the browser and inside the agents themselves — turning potential liabilities into reliable productivity tools.

Bottom-line impact: Lower risk, reduced manual IT labor, fewer outages, and the confidence to scale AI without constant security worries.

1. Prisma AIRS 3.0 – Secure Autonomous AI Agents

Prisma AIRS 3.0 provides full visibility, risk assessment, AI red teaming, and runtime protection across the entire agent lifecycle. It discovers agents wherever they operate and enforces controls to prevent threats like prompt injection and memory poisoning. (Palo Alto Networks, “Securing the AI Enterprise”).

2. Prisma Browser for Business – Secure Workspace Without Complexity

Prisma Browser for Business delivers a simple, Chromium-based secure workspace with real-time threat blocking, AI guardrails to prevent sensitive data exposure, and easy deployment — no complex VPNs required. (Palo Alto Networks, “Prisma Browser for Business”).

3. Next-Generation Trust Security (NGTS) – Automated Certificate Management

NGTS automates discovery, renewal, and enforcement of certificates across the network, turning a painful manual process into a reliable, hands-off utility.

4. Unified Human + Machine + Agent Identity (via CyberArk)

Building on the CyberArk acquisition and integrations such as ServiceNow + Prisma AIRS, Palo Alto applies the same rigorous controls (least privilege, just-in-time access) to people, machines, and agents. (Palo Alto Networks, “Securing the Enterprise AI Ecosystem”).