Zscaler Buys Symmetry Systems to Build Security Controls for Millions of AI Agents
Symmetry Systems’ technology ingests access logs from SaaS applications, cloud platforms, databases and AI systems.
Zscaler has announced plans to acquire Symmetry Systems, a cybersecurity company specialising in identity mapping and AI data access.
The acquisition will strengthen Zscaler’s Zero Trust Exchange platform by adding Symmetry Systems’ “access graph” technology, which maps how human and non-human identities interact with applications, data and AI systems across enterprise environments.
According to Zscaler, traditional identity and access management systems were designed for human users operating within stable organisational structures. However, AI agents operate dynamically across multiple systems using temporary identities and inherited permissions, creating major visibility and governance challenges for security teams.
Symmetry Systems’ technology ingests access logs from SaaS applications, cloud platforms, databases and AI systems, then uses AI to build a real-time graph showing which identities are accessing specific data and systems.
Zscaler plans to use that visibility to enforce Zero Trust policies governing how AI agents communicate with applications, data and each other.
“As enterprises rapidly adopt AI, the old playbook for governing access built around users and directories cannot scale to millions of AI agents. With Symmetry Systems, we are adding the access graph that maps how every identity, application, and data source connects across the enterprise,” said Jay Chaudhry, Zscaler Chairman and CEO.
Zscaler said the acquisition will help organisations deploy AI agents more securely by enabling least-privilege access policies, anomaly detection, data lineage tracking and automated threat containment.
“We believe the dominant security platforms of the AI era will govern how information flows between identities across zero-trust networks. As AI disintermediates applications, endpoints, and traditional network boundaries, identities and data become the new control plane for enterprise security.
"In this world, legacy security models centered on endpoints, applications, or perimeter networks increasingly operate at the wrong layer of abstraction. Together, Symmetry Systems and Zscaler are building the information flow network for the age of AI,” said Mohit Tiwari, Symmetry Systems CEO.
Earlier this year, Zscaler acquired cybersecurity startup SquareX to expand its secure browser and data protection capabilities as enterprises shift to cloud-based work and AI-driven workflows.
