Enterprise security teams are increasingly turning to inference security platforms as they struggle to defend against a new wave of AI-driven runtime attacks. The shift comes as traditional security measures prove inadequate in the face of rapidly evolving threats that exploit vulnerabilities in AI agents operating in production environments.

The urgency is driven by the speed at which attackers are now able to compromise systems. According to CrowdStrike's 2025 Global Threat Report, breakout times – the time it takes for an attacker to move from initial access to lateral movement within a network – can be as short as 51 seconds. This leaves security teams with little time to react, especially considering the lengthy patch cycles common in many organizations. The same report also highlighted that 79% of detected attacks were malware-free, relying instead on "hands-on keyboard" techniques that bypass traditional endpoint defenses.

"Threat actors are reverse engineering patches within 72 hours," said Mike Riemer, field CISO at Ivanti, in a statement to VentureBeat. Riemer explained that the speed of reverse engineering and weaponization has been "greatly enhanced by AI," collapsing the window of opportunity for enterprises to patch vulnerabilities before they are exploited. This shrinking window is a major concern, as many organizations require weeks or even months to manually deploy patches across their systems.

Inference security platforms are designed to address these runtime weaknesses by providing visibility and control over AI agents in production. These platforms monitor the behavior of AI models, detect anomalies, and prevent malicious actions in real-time. They offer a layer of security that traditional endpoint security solutions often miss, particularly when dealing with malware-free attacks.

The rise of AI-powered attacks represents a significant shift in the threat landscape. Attackers are leveraging AI to automate reconnaissance, identify vulnerabilities, and develop sophisticated exploits. This requires a new approach to security that focuses on understanding and mitigating the risks associated with AI agents in production.

The deployment of inference security platforms is still in its early stages, but many CISOs view them as a critical component of their security strategy moving forward. As AI continues to be integrated into more business processes, the need for specialized security solutions to protect these systems will only grow. The next few years will likely see further innovation in this space, with vendors developing more advanced capabilities for detecting and preventing AI-driven attacks.