Cisco Unveils CiscoCloud Control: A Unified Platform for Agentic AI and Enhanced IT Security

In a rapidly evolving landscape defined by agentic AI, organizations face the imperative to act and defend their critical IT infrastructure at unprecedented speeds. Cisco has introduced CiscoCloud Control, a unified platform unveiled at Cisco Live, designed to facilitate the management, monitoring, and defense of IT systems by both humans and AI agents. This platform serves as the cornerstone of Cisco’s AgenticOps operating model, enabling organizations to navigate the complexities of modern cybersecurity.

A Comprehensive View of IT Infrastructure

CiscoCloud Control offers a single login that provides a holistic view of Cisco’s networking, security, compute, observability, and collaboration tools within a secure environment. This integration allows both human operators and AI agents to function from a unified data layer, sharing the same operational context and system of action. Users can create custom applications and agents using natural language directly within the platform, which seamlessly connects to a diverse ecosystem that includes AWS, Linear, ServiceNow, and Slack.

Jeetu Patel, President and Chief Product Officer at Cisco, emphasized the transformative potential of AI agents, stating, “AI agents reason and act continuously at software speed, and that changes everything about how we scale, manage, and defend our critical infrastructure.” He described CiscoCloud Control as a command center for agentic AI, where teams and AI agents collaborate in a shared environment, ensuring that human oversight remains paramount.

Key Features of CiscoCloud Control

CiscoCloud Control is designed to streamline operations across various domains, providing a single management plane that consolidates a customer’s entire IT estate. The platform introduces several key features:

• Cross-domain Telemetry: CiscoCloud Control collects rich data flowing across networking, security, observability, and collaboration, enabling comprehensive insights into system performance and vulnerabilities.
• Trusted Agents: The platform allows operators to work with autonomous agents capable of executing a structured path from signal to action. These agents can identify issues, diagnose causes, implement fixes, and validate user experiences, all while maintaining visibility and governance over actions.
• CiscoAI Canvas: This multiplayer, generative workspace enables operators and agents to collaborate in real-time, utilizing live evidence to investigate and resolve complex issues.
• Cloud Control Studio: The Agent Builder feature allows customers to create tailored agents for Cloud Control, integrating with over 50 third-party platforms through native connectors or the openModel Context Protocol (MCP).

CiscoCloud Control is currently in Controlled Availability in the United States, with plans for global rollout in the near future.

Evolving Security Paradigms

As the cybersecurity landscape shifts, reactive defense mechanisms are proving inadequate. The time between vulnerability discovery and exploitation has shrunk dramatically, necessitating a proactive approach. CiscoCloud Control aims to address this challenge by serving as a real-time security command center.

The platform incorporates LiveProtect, a digital immune system designed to shield Cisco products from newly identified vulnerabilities without requiring reboots, upgrades, or maintenance windows. Initially available in N9000 series switches, LiveProtect will expand to additional Cisco products, including campus and branch smart switches and secure routers.

Enhancements in Agentic Security

With AI agents increasingly integrated into the workforce, Cisco has announced further enhancements to its agentic security offerings. These include advancements in AI Defense, the implementation of Zero Trust principles for agents, and the establishment of the Agentic Security Operations Center (SOC). These measures are designed to protect both AI agents and the environments in which they operate.

Preparing for Quantum Threats

As quantum computing capabilities advance, the threat of “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks looms large. Cisco is proactively addressing this risk by committing to implement quantum-safe communications across its core portfolio by December 2026. This initiative aims to extend post-quantum protection to systems handling sensitive enterprise traffic.

New infrastructure introduced from this point forward will feature quantum-safe secure boot capabilities, building on existing quantum-safe technology in campus smart switches. Additionally, Cisco is launching Quantum Ready Assessments through Cisco IQ to help organizations identify assets most vulnerable to quantum threats.

Building Long-term Resilience

To assist customers in navigating these challenges, Cisco Services is introducing new capabilities aimed at fostering long-term resilience. This includes Resilient Infrastructure Services, a three-step approach encompassing Exposure Assessment, Infrastructure Modernization, and Defense Resiliency. These services are designed to help organizations mitigate risks associated with emerging threats.

Cisco IQ, integrated into Cisco Cloud Control, serves as an AI-powered delivery vehicle for support and professional services. It is designed to help customers build resilience in the face of today’s complex threat landscape, utilizing AI-driven insights and Zero Trust principles. Furthermore, Cisco IQ will now offer on-premises deployment options to meet data sovereignty requirements.

CiscoCloud Control represents a significant advancement in the integration of AI into cybersecurity practices, providing organizations with the tools necessary to defend their critical infrastructure in an increasingly complex digital landscape.

Source: securitymea.com

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