Updated
Updated · CIO · Jul 27
Cisco-Backed AGNTCY Gains 75+ Supporters to Build Secure Cross-Company AI Agent Links
Updated
Updated · CIO · Jul 27

Cisco-Backed AGNTCY Gains 75+ Supporters to Build Secure Cross-Company AI Agent Links

1 articles · Updated · CIO · Jul 27

Summary

  • More than 75 companies have joined AGNTCY, the Cisco-open-sourced effort to let AI agents from different organizations discover, verify and communicate securely under Linux Foundation governance.
  • The push targets a core bottleneck in cross-enterprise AI: agents built on different frameworks, data models and security systems still lack shared identity, standard messaging and trust controls.
  • Cisco cited an early proof point with ServiceNow, where AGNTCY connected multi-agent workflows through a shared layer for discovery, identity, messaging and observability instead of brittle custom integrations.
  • Security is central because cross-company agent use widens risks such as prompt injection, identity spoofing and data exfiltration; a 2026 scan of 34,000-plus repositories found hardcoded secrets in agent files.
  • The broader aim is an 'internet of agents' stack alongside efforts like MCP and emerging A2A protocols, as enterprises prepare agents to negotiate, coordinate and transact across supply chains, finance and healthcare.

Insights

As AI agents break out of internal silos, will the heavy security needed for cross-company trust destroy their real-time speed?
Can cryptographic identities truly stop malicious AI agents from secretly poisoning cross-company workflows before human overseers notice?
If an autonomous AI negotiates a disastrous deal with a partner's compromised bot, who legally pays the price?