TechNet Urges NIST to Take Risk-Based Approach to Securing AI Agent Systems

Washington, D.C. - TechNet, the national, bipartisan network of tech CEOs and senior executives, submitted comments to the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) urging a risk-based approach to security considerations for AI agent systems.

"AI agent systems represent a meaningful evolution in AI capabilities, enabling systems to plan, coordinate, and take actions across digital environments. These systems hold tremendous promise to improve productivity, strengthen cybersecurity, modernize government services, and expand economic opportunity," said Linda Moore, President and CEO of TechNet. "At the same time, because AI agents can interact with tools, external data, and real-world systems, they introduce distinct security challenges that merit targeted attention. The policy objective should be to reduce and manage these risks without slowing innovation through premature, overly prescriptive, or one-size-fits-all requirements."

"Getting AI agentic security right is essential to realizing the full economic and societal benefits of this emerging technology. TechNet and our member companies support CAISI's leadership in advancing practical, risk-based approaches to AI agentic security that strengthen trust, accelerate responsible deployment, and ensure the United States remains the global leader in AI innovation and adoption."

TechNet's recommendations include:

• Promote secure-by-design principles for agentic systems
• Combine secure-by-design principles with multilayered defense strategies
• Accelerate safe and secure agentic innovation through targeted federal action
• Advance agentic security through scalable research, simulation, and regulatory sandboxes
• Recognize agentic AI's infancy and allow room for experimentation

Read the full letter here .