Cisco said on 4 May that it intended to acquire Astrix Security, a company that secures non-human identities such as API keys, service accounts and OAuth tokens, as it seeks to protect businesses deploying AI agents.
Why Cisco Systems, Inc. is buying Astrix Security
Peter Bailey, head of Cisco's security business, wrote that AI agents represent an entirely new class of coworker and that the credentials they use form a new attack surface growing faster than most organisations realise. Astrix's tools discover and govern AI agents, manage agent identities through their lifecycle, detect threats such as compromised credentials and centralise secrets management.
“This is the new attack surface, and it is growing faster than most organizations realize.”
Deal terms and financing
Cisco did not disclose financial terms. Calcalist reported the price at about $400m; The Information had earlier reported talks valuing the company at $250m-$350m.
Regulatory approvals and timing
Cisco updated its announcement on 29 June to say the acquisition had been completed.
Market context
Astrix was founded in Tel Aviv in 2021 by Alon Jackson and Idan Gour and raised about $85m, including a $45m Series B in December 2025 led by Menlo Ventures' Anthology Fund. It is one of several Israeli identity-security start-ups bought by larger vendors in 2026.
