Cisco today announced a series of groundbreaking innovations and partnerships at RSA Conference 2025, focused on securing the future of AI and cybersecurity for enterprises worldwide. Amid a rapidly evolving threat landscape and a growing shortage of skilled security professionals, Cisco is delivering transformative solutions that empower organizations to harness the full potential of AI securely. According to Cisco’s upcoming 2025 Cybersecurity Readiness Index, 86% of organizations have experienced AI-related security incidents in the past year, underscoring the urgent need for AI-native defenses.
“The cybersecurity threat landscape has never been more dynamic and complex,” said Jeetu Patel, EVP and Chief Product Officer, Cisco.
“Understaffed security operations need AI power of their own. Cisco is securing AI and leveraging AI for security — through new open-source models, AI agents, IoT advancements, and our Security Cloud — to make businesses more resilient.”
Major Announcements from Cisco at RSAC 2025
Smarter Threat Detection and Response with Cisco XDR and Splunk
- Cisco XDR enhancements bring agentic AI into the SOC:
- Instant Attack Verification leverages Splunk, endpoint, and network telemetry to autonomously investigate and verify threats.
- Automated XDR Forensics delivers deeper endpoint visibility for faster, more accurate investigations.
- XDR Storyboard provides clear visual narratives of complex attacks, enabling decisive, rapid responses.
- Splunk SOAR 6.4 (now GA) and Splunk Enterprise Security 8.1 (coming June 2025) strengthen Cisco XDR’s open ecosystem approach to threat detection and automated response.
“Cisco XDR’s focus on clear verdicts, decisive actions, and AI speed is critical for building the SOC of the future,” said Omar Zarabi, CEO of Port53.
Securing AI — and Using AI for Security
Building on its AI Defense initiative, Cisco introduced several new measures to address the risks posed by AI:
- AI Risk Management with ServiceNow:
New integrations bring Cisco AI Defense capabilities to ServiceNow SecOps for holistic AI risk management. - Foundation AI Team and Open-Source Security Models:
Cisco’s newly formed Foundation AI group (through its Robust Intelligence acquisition) released:- The first open-source reasoning model built for cybersecurity.
- Novel benchmarks for evaluating cybersecurity models.
- New tools and building blocks for adapting security models to real-world threats.
- AI Supply Chain Security Controls:
Cisco unveiled new capabilities to scan, detect, and block:- Malicious AI model files before they enter corporate networks.
- AI artifacts containing risky open-source software licenses or originating from restricted suppliers.
These advancements help organizations secure AI models before production deployment — a crucial step in responsible AI adoption.
Enhancing Industrial IoT Security
Recognizing the growing cyber risks to critical infrastructure, Cisco expanded its Industrial Threat Defense offerings:
- Integration of Cisco Cyber Vision with:
- Cisco Vulnerability Management and Splunk Asset and Risk Intelligence to prioritize OT cyber risks.
- Cisco Secure Firewall for automated industrial network segmentation.
- Splunk OT Security Add-on for unified IT/OT threat visibility within the SOC.
This helps global enterprises protect operational technology (OT) environments while advancing industrial digitization securely.
Cisco at RSAC 2025
Cisco is showcasing all these innovations at RSA Conference 2025 in San Francisco’s Moscone Center, highlighting how agentic AI, open ecosystems, and AI-native security architectures will redefine the future of cybersecurity.
