Cisco Acquires Astrix Security to Secure Non-Human Identities in AI Era

Breaking: Cisco Acquires Astrix Security to Tackle Non-Human Identity Threats

Cisco announced today its intent to acquire Astrix Security, a leader in non-human identity (NHI) protection, in a move to fortify identity-centric security for AI workloads and machine-to-machine access. The deal, whose terms were not disclosed, is expected to close in the first half of 2025.

“The explosion of AI and automated systems has created a massive blind spot—non-human identities that often go unmanaged and unprotected,” said Jeetu Patel, Cisco's Executive Vice President and General Manager of Security and Collaboration. “Astrix’s technology will allow us to offer comprehensive identity security across every type of access, human or machine.”

Astrix Security, founded in 2021, specializes in discovering and securing service accounts, API keys, and other non-human identities that now outnumber human users in most enterprises. The company’s platform has been adopted by several Fortune 500 firms to monitor and govern machine identities.

Background

Non-human identities—such as service accounts, bots, API tokens, and automated scripts—are growing exponentially with the rise of cloud-native architectures and AI agents. Traditional identity and access management (IAM) tools have focused on human users, leaving NHIs vulnerable to exploitation.

Industry reports indicate that more than 60% of identity-related breaches in 2024 involved compromised non-human identities. The acquisition aligns with Cisco’s broader strategy to integrate identity security across its networking, cloud, and security portfolios.

Astrix previously raised $45 million in funding from investors including Bessemer Venture Partners and Cyberstarts. Cisco’s move comes as competitors like Microsoft and Palo Alto Networks also ramp up NHI capabilities.

What This Means

For enterprises, the deal promises a more unified approach to managing both human and machine identities, reducing attack surfaces in cloud environments and AI pipelines. “Cisco’s vast customer base and channel network could rapidly bring NHI security into mainstream adoption,” said Emily Moss, an analyst at IDC.

However, integration challenges remain. Cisco will need to weave Astrix’s agentless discovery and policy engine into its existing Cisco Secure Access and Duo Security platforms without disrupting customer operations. If successful, users could gain real-time visibility into every identity in their hybrid environments.

The acquisition also signals a growing recognition that identity security is no longer just about people. “In the AI era, every bot and every API call must be verified,” Patel added. “We see this as a foundational piece for zero-trust architectures going forward.”

Investors reacted positively, with Cisco shares rising 1.2% in after-hours trading following the announcement. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals.