Why Is an AI Agent a Different Kind of Attacker?
Security teams usually group attackers by what drives them: states, criminal groups and ideologically driven hackers. Gaurav's point on the panel was that autonomous agents fit none of those groups, because nothing drives them in the human sense.
"An agent doesn't have a motive, it has a goal."
Gaurav Keerthi, speaking on the ANVF Innovation 2026 panel
Caixin's report puts the same idea in its own words: these agents operate without human motives and focus only on the objectives they have been given. For defenders, that removes one of the usual ways of predicting what an attacker will do next.
Why Are Smaller Suppliers the Soft Underbelly?
Neil Fong described smaller suppliers as the soft underbelly of large organisations, and Gaurav took the phrase further. A well-defended bank is a hard target. The firms that serve it often are not.
"...instead of hacking a bank, hack the smaller law firm that supports the bank."
Gaurav Keerthi, speaking on the ANVF Innovation 2026 panel
That is the gap StrongKeep was built to close. Smaller firms carry real risk for the larger organisations they work with, and few security products are designed or priced for them.
Should a Business Try to Block Every Attack?
The panel's second theme was recovery. Gaurav argued that resilience and recovery testing matter more than trying to stop every attack. A business that has practised getting back on its feet is in a far better position when something does get through.
Where Can I Read the Full Report?
Caixin Global's article may sit behind a paywall. Caixin also offers it on its China Watch newsletter on Substack. The two remarks quoted above are from the panel itself. Caixin's report paraphrases Gaurav and does not quote him directly.
- AI to Drive Expansion in Cyberattacks, Industry Execs Warn, Caixin Global, 30 September 2026
- The same article on Caixin China Watch, on Substack
Related Reading
- Addressing the Supply Chain Risk, Gaurav in Dark Reading on why protecting smaller companies keeps big enterprises secure.
- Who is watching when an AI agent acts on its own?, Gaurav on CyberSG Voices.
- Is it safe to let an AI agent act for you?, Gaurav on CNA938.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Gaurav Keerthi say at the Asia New Vision Forum 2026?
That autonomous AI agents are a fourth category of cyber attacker, alongside state-sponsored hackers, criminal groups and ideologically driven attackers. He also argued that smaller suppliers are the soft underbelly of large organisations, and that resilience and recovery testing matter more than trying to block every attack.
Who else was on the panel?
Gene Yu of Blackpanda. The panel, The Invisible Battlefield, was moderated by Neil Fong of Burda Principal Investments and took place on 29 September 2026 at the Asia New Vision Forum Innovation 2026 in Sentosa, Singapore.
Why do attackers target smaller suppliers?
Because a large organisation is usually well defended and the smaller firms that serve it often are not. Breaking into a law firm or another supplier can give an attacker a route to the larger client without facing its defences directly.
What Does StrongKeep Do?
StrongKeep is a self-serve cybersecurity platform for small and medium businesses. It bundles endpoint protection, phishing and malicious-link filtering, credential management, staff awareness training and phishing simulations, all run by the business itself from one dashboard. Compliance tooling is available on higher plans. StrongKeep holds the CSA Cyber Essentials Mark. Built for teams without an IT department. Plans are on the pricing page.
