At the Proofpoint Protect 2025 conference in Nashville, CEO Sumit Dhawan emphasized the growing risks tied to AI agents integrated into workplace processes. While these agents enhance productivity and efficiency, they also create new vulnerabilities, increasing the potential for sophisticated cyber threats. To address this challenge, Proofpoint unveiled a comprehensive set of cybersecurity solutions designed to protect the agentic workspace, the environment where humans and AI agents work together.

Detecting and Preventing AI Exploits Over Email

Cybercriminals have started embedding malicious prompts within emails to manipulate AI assistants such as Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. These hidden prompts can mislead AI systems, causing unauthorized data access or data breaches. Proofpoint’s Prime Threat Protection addresses this threat by intercepting such exploits before they reach users’ inboxes. This ensures AI assistants function securely and maintain data integrity.

Introducing Proofpoint Secure Agent Gateway

To protect sensitive information exchanged with AI agents, Proofpoint is launching the Secure Agent Gateway in the first quarter of 2026. This solution uses the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a developing open standard that enables secure and transparent connections between AI agents and external data sources. The gateway provides detailed policy control and enforcement, supporting both commercial and custom AI agents across enterprise environments. This ensures sensitive data is handled securely at every interaction point.

Enhancing Data Security with Data Security Complete

Proofpoint’s Data Security Complete delivers tools that help organizations locate, classify, and regulate access to sensitive information across email, endpoints, and cloud platforms. The solution features Autonomous Custom Classifiers that accurately classify data with minimal human involvement. It also offers a consolidated data risk map, which identifies risks related to configuration, access, and data exfiltration. Together, these features simplify data protection and strengthen overall security.

Governing AI Usage with AI Data Governance

With the rise of AI adoption, oversight becomes increasingly critical. Proofpoint’s AI Data Governance solution enables organizations to discover both approved and unauthorized AI activity. It applies prebuilt policies to prevent data leaks and privacy breaches, while governing access through automated workflows. This approach ensures that AI tools are used responsibly and in line with organizational policies.

Automating Security Operations with AI Agents

Proofpoint recognizes the potential of AI agents to transform security operations. The new solutions integrate AI agents into workflows, automating collaboration and data protection tasks. This improves operational efficiency, reduces human error, and enables faster responses to emerging threats.

Conclusion: A Unified Approach to Agentic AI Security

Proofpoint’s suite of solutions delivers a robust framework for securing the agentic workspace. By tackling AI exploits, data protection, AI governance, and operational efficiency, Proofpoint equips organizations to harness AI benefits while reducing risks. These solutions position organizations to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving digital landscape with confidence.