Abu Dhabi is proactively fortifying over 50 government entities against the growing risks posed by autonomous AI agents. As the region shifts toward AI-native operations, officials warn that hackers could exploit these systems by feeding them malicious instructions, effectively tricking the agents into accessing sensitive financial records, exposing personal data, or even authorizing unauthorized fund transfers. Najyb Al Maskari, executive director of the Government Cybersecurity Operations Sector, emphasizes that the primary danger lies in agents performing harmful tasks under the guise of legitimate authorization. To counter this, the government is implementing a "defence in depth" strategy, which includes rigorous auditing, real-time monitoring, and the integration of kill switches that can disable misbehaving models immediately.

The cybersecurity community remains on high alert as AI agents move from simple chatbots to sophisticated tools capable of managing complex, multi-step workflows. Experts from the Technology Innovation Institute and Kaspersky warn that an unmonitored agent can essentially function as malware, providing attackers with a pathway to internal systems and credentials. Emerging threats, such as "living off local agents," involve criminals weaponizing existing tools to siphon information faster and at a greater scale. By combining traditional endpoint protections with specialized AI guardrails, Abu Dhabi aims to build a secure, AI-native infrastructure that prioritizes citizen trust and human-centric safety as the digital landscape evolves.