NIST Calls for Public to Help Better Secure AI Agents

NIST Seeks Input to Protect AI Systems Used in Government, Critical Infrastructure Chris Riotta (@chrisriotta) • January 12, 2026

The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking public input on how to secure agentic artificial intelligence systems as their use - and potential risks - expands across government and critical infrastructure networks.

See Also: Proof of Concept: Bot or Buyer? Identity Crisis in Retail

In a notice published Thursday, NIST's Center for AI Standards and Innovation issued a request for information asking industry, researchers and system operators to weigh in on security risks and mitigation strategies tied to agentic AI systems. The institute defines AI agents as any AI system deployment combining one or more generative AI models with scaffolding software that enables planning and discretionary action, sometimes through multiple coordinated sub agents.

Agentic AI systems can introduce security risks that differ significantly from traditional software ...