The previous few weeks have been thrilling ones within the Cisco world—from launching Cisco 360 Companion Program, internet hosting AI Summit, and presenting EMEA with an incredible Cisco Stay.
I used to be part of couple massive associate occasions in Amsterdam at Cisco Stay and one factor is evident: we aren’t simply speaking about the way forward for AI; we’re constructing the infrastructure to safe it.
As we transfer from generative AI to Agentic AI, the stakes have by no means been greater. AI that acts for us additionally wants safety that thinks for us. For our companions, this represents the only biggest alternative for development in a decade.
The Massive Image: Safety is the Accelerator, Not the Brake
There’s a frequent false impression that safety slows down innovation. At Cisco, we consider the alternative. Consider safety just like the high-performance brakes on a Method 1 automobile; they’re the one purpose the motive force feels secure sufficient to go 200 mph. As a Cisco associate, you’re the one handing them the keys to a safe, high-speed future.
The Rise of Agentic AI (And the Safety Hole)
Agentic AI is being adopted at a blistering tempo. Over half of organizations are already deploying brokers, with one other 30% experimenting. However these autonomous brokers introduce new dangers: immediate injection, software poisoning, and knowledge leakage—simply to call a couple of.
The Cisco Method: We shield AI brokers from the world, and we shield the world from AI brokers. We’re embedding safety immediately into the material of the community, making certain that safety and networking are not two separate conversations, however one unified system.
New Improvements: Defending the Complete Lifecycle
We’ve simply introduced essentially the most vital enlargement of our safety portfolio to this point, together with:
- AI Protection Growth: Now defending your entire AI utility provide chain and mannequin integrity. It’s globally out there and built-in with the NVIDIA Safe AI Manufacturing facility.
- SASE for Agentic AI: We’ve launched automated detection and entry controls for AI brokers, together with safety for the Mannequin Context Protocol (MCP). This permits organizations to manipulate how brokers work together with knowledge.
- AgenticOps in Safety Cloud Management: We’re utilizing AI to handle AI. These instruments proactively analyze firewall visitors and configuration knowledge to autonomously remediate points, eradicating the guide “grunt work” to your prospects’ IT groups.
- Duo for Energetic Listing: We haven’t forgotten the fundamentals. Since 44% of id assaults goal legacy methods, we’ve built-in Duo safety for Energetic Listing to shut the hole on identity-based threats.
“Safety and observability aren’t issues that scale back productiveness—they speed up adoption. They’re stipulations for productiveness.” — Jeetu Patel, EVP and Chief Product Officer, Cisco
The Cisco 360 Companion Program: Extra Worth, Extra Reward
On January 25, 2026, we formally launched the Cisco 360 Companion Program. This isn’t only a title change; it’s a shift towards rewarding the depth of your experience.
Within the AI period, specialization is your forex. We even have aligned our incentives to reward those that put money into the “Safe Networking” and “Safe AI Options” portfolios:
- The Specialization Bonus: Most popular Companions now earn an additional bonus on eligible bookings with one specialization.
- The Multiplier Impact: In case you maintain a number of specializations inside a single portfolio (like Safety), that bonus will increase additional.
- Everlasting Rewards: These aren’t short-term promos. These bonuses are a everlasting a part of the inducement construction, designed to reward your sustained funding in Cisco experience.
The Backside Line
The “Agentic Period” is right here, and your prospects are in search of a information. Don’t look ahead to them to ask about AI safety—convey the answer to them. Join together with your Cisco Companion Safety Account Government to be taught extra about how we’re making AI secure to scale.
We’d love to listen to what you suppose. Ask a Query, Remark Under, and Keep Linked with #CiscoPartners on social!
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