Shadow AI 'double agents' are outpacing security visibility and that's a serious concern for UK businesses

Date:
Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:21:16 +0000

Description:
Maintaining visibility on autonomous AI agents is now a priority for security teams.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get the TechRadar Newsletter Sign up for
breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter AI agent adoption is outpacing visibility AI agents are working autonomously across environments Business leaders recognize the risk and believe they can prevent unauthorized access UK businesses are increasingly deploying AI
agents to help automate mundane tasks and improve productivity, but some are behaving as double agents and putting business security at risk.

New research from Microsoft s Cyber Pulse report has found that while most business leaders believe they can prevent unauthorized use by AI double agents, visibility is struggling to keep pace with adoption. Unmanaged AI agents create blind spots for security teams, especially when autonomous AI agents are given permission to work across networks, devices, and software. Article continues below You may like How businesses can stop their AI agents from running amok 'No one asked them to': Security experts warn malicious AI agents can team up to launch cyberattacks From Black Box to White Box: why AI agents shouldnt be a mystery to enterprises AI double agents risk sabotaging businesses In 2026, adoption has risen rapidly with 62% of UK businesses already deploying AI agents within their business - a rise of 22% year over year. Additionally, 68% of businesses are expecting an enterprise-wide AI agent rollout within the next 12 months.

But business leaders also recognize the risk of this rising rate of adoption, with 84% noting that unauthorized or poorly governed AI agents are a serious security concern.

This problem is only likely to worsen as AI agents become more capable and accessible, especially when they can act autonomously with permissions stretching across different environments.

Microsofts findings also note that security teams have three clear
priorities. Making sure visibility into where AI agents are operating is maintained (50%), ensuring that introducing AI agents to existing systems and processes is done safely (50%), and verifying that autonomous AI agents meet compliance, risk and audit requirements (49%). Are you a pro? Subscribe to
our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Thisresearch signals a structural shift incross-enterprise security, said Jo Miller, National Security Officer at Microsoft UK. As AI agents move from experimentation into operationalfunctionsacross UK organisations, they are delivering real gains in productivity and resilience, but they also introduce a new category of digital identity that must be secured with the same rigour as human or machine identities.

Double agents emerge when visibilityand governancedoes not keep pace with adoption, which is why organisations need the ability to see, manage and control how agents access systems and data,across their enterprise, Miller continued.

By treating AI agents as managed identitiesand applying robust zero trust principles, with least-privilege access, defined permissions and full auditability, businesses canmanagerisk while continuing to innovate with confidence. The best antivirus for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best antivirus 1. Best overall: Bitdefender Total Security 2. Best for families: Norton 360 with LifeLock 3. Best for mobile: McAfee Mobile Security Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/shadow-ai-double-agents-are-outpacing-s ecurity-visibility-and-thats-a-serious-concern-for-uk-businesses


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)