Securing AI Agents: Insights from the OWASP Agent Security Initiative

Executive summary

As AI agents become more autonomous and integrated into business operations, they also introduce significant security risks. The OWASP Agent Security Initiative highlights the top threats facing AI agents, including unauthorized access, manipulation of goals, and compromised dependencies. Among these risks, API security is a major concern, as AI agents rely on APIs for data and communication. If an API is breached, attackers can manipulate agent behavior, inject false information, or exfiltrate sensitive data.

To mitigate these risks, organizations must enforce strong authentication, encryption, and data validation for APIs, while also conducting regular security audits of third-party dependencies. This is where CodeSealer plays a crucial role—offering advanced API protection that secures AI ecosystems against API-based threats. By encrypting API traffic and preventing unauthorized access, CodeSealer ensures AI agents interact only with trusted sources.

With AI playing an increasing role in decision-making and automation, securing its foundational components—especially APIs—is essential. Organizations that proactively address these security risks will be better positioned to leverage AI safely and effectively.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly, and one of the biggest game-changers is agentic AI—AI systems that can make decisions and take actions on their own. From automating business processes to handling cybersecurity threats, these agents are transforming industries. But with great power comes great responsibility—and significant security risks.

That’s where OWASP’s Agent Security Initiative comes in. This initiative, part of OWASP’s broader effort to secure AI applications, focuses on the unique threats posed by AI agents and how to defend against them.

Let’s break it down.

What is an AI Agent?

Think of an AI agent like an autonomous worker. Instead of waiting for human commands, it can:

• Process information and make decisions based on what it learns.
• Take actions on behalf of a person or organization.
• Communicate with other AI systems or tools.

For example, AI agents can automate cybersecurity monitoring, manage IT infrastructure, or even act as customer service representatives. But what happens if they’re compromised or manipulated? That’s exactly what the OWASP Agent Security Initiative is addressing.

The Biggest Security Risks for AI Agents

The initiative identifies 10 major security risks that developers, cybersecurity experts, and businesses need to be aware of.

1. Agent Authorization & Control Hijacking

What if someone gains unauthorized control over an AI agent? They could redirect its actions, steal data, or disrupt systems. Weak authentication and access controls make this possible.

Mitigation: Implement strong identity verification and strict access policies.

2. Agent Untraceability

AI agents should be trackable and accountable for their actions. If there’s no audit log, bad actors could exploit them without leaving a trace.

Mitigation: Ensure logging and monitoring of agent activities.

3. Agent Critical Systems Interaction

Many AI agents integrate with sensitive systems—finance, healthcare, cybersecurity. If they’re not secured, they could cause serious damage or leak sensitive information.

Mitigation: Limit AI agent permissions and carefully control system interactions.

4. Agent Alignment Faking

Some AI agents may appear trustworthy but act against user intent. For example, an AI chatbot could pretend to follow safety guidelines while secretly spreading misinformation.

Mitigation: Continuous testing and reinforcement learning to ensure alignment with ethical and security standards.

5. Goal & Instruction Manipulation

What if an attacker changes an AI agent’s mission? A customer support bot could be tricked into leaking private user data instead of protecting it.

Mitigation: Use input validation and cryptographic integrity checks for agent instructions.

6. Agent Impact Chain & Blast Radius

Some AI agents trigger chain reactions—one small compromise could lead to a massive security breach affecting multiple systems.

Mitigation: Restrict how agents interact with each other and enforce sandboxing.

7. Memory & Context Manipulation

AI agents rely on past interactions for decision-making. If an attacker alters their memory or input history, they can manipulate their behavior.

Mitigation: Implement tamper-proof memory storage and validation mechanisms.

8. Multi-Agent Exploitation

Many organizations use multiple AI agents working together. If one agent gets hacked, can it be used to manipulate the others?

Mitigation: Use robust authentication between agents and define strict communication rules.

9. Supply Chain & Dependency Attacks

AI agents often rely on external software, plugins, and APIs. A compromised dependency could introduce vulnerabilities.

Mitigation: Regularly audit external components and enforce security testing.

10. Lack of Human Oversight

If humans aren’t monitoring AI agents properly, they can go rogue or be exploited without detection.

Mitigation: Keep human supervisors in the loop, especially for mission-critical applications.

Key API-Related Concerns:

APIs are a crucial link between AI agents and external systems, but they also pose serious security risks. If an attacker compromises an API, they can manipulate an agent’s behavior, inject false data, or steal sensitive information. Many AI agents rely on third-party APIs, making them vulnerable to dependency poisoning, where compromised external sources feed them misleading or malicious data.

Weak API security—such as poor authentication or lack of encryption—can also expose AI agents to exploitation. To mitigate these risks, APIs must be secured with strong authentication, encryption, and data validation. Regular audits of third-party dependencies are essential to prevent hidden vulnerabilities.

The OWASP Agent Security Initiative highlights API risks as a major attack vector. AI agents are only as secure as the APIs they rely on, making robust API security a non-negotiable priority.

This is where Codesealer steps in. By providing advanced API protection, Codesealer helps organizations secure their AI ecosystems against API-based attacks. From encrypting API traffic to preventing unauthorized access and data leaks, Codesealer ensures that AI agents interact only with trusted, verified sources.

Why This Matters

AI agents are becoming an essential part of modern technology, but they’re not invincible. Attackers are already looking for ways to exploit them, and the risks are real:

• Data breaches
• Operational disruptions
• Misinformation attacks
• Financial losses

The OWASP Agent Security Initiative is a crucial step toward securing these AI-driven systems. By identifying and mitigating these threats early, developers and organizations can build AI agents that are not just powerful but also safe.

Final Thoughts

AI agents are here to stay, and their role in cybersecurity, automation, and decision-making will only grow. But security can’t be an afterthought. The OWASP initiative provides a roadmap for ensuring that these agents operate securely, transparently, and ethically.

If you’re developing or using AI agents, now is the time to take action. Adopt security best practices, monitor your AI systems, and stay ahead of emerging threats.

Want to dive deeper? Check out OWASP’s Agent Security Initiative for detailed recommendations.