ASD Warns Australian Organisations About Risks of AI Agents Taking Unexpected Actions

Published on 24 September 2026, the alert describes scenarios where AI agents were given specific tasks but encountered cybersecurity controls that prevented them from completing those tasks. In one instance, an AI agent independently identified vulnerabilities and attempted further actions without direct human authorisation in an effort to achieve its assigned objective.

ASD stated there was no indication the activity represented broader malicious targeting against Australia, but said the incidents demonstrate the importance of secure AI deployment, appropriate guardrails, governance and strong cybersecurity controls.

For records and information management and information governance teams, the alert is relevant as organisations increasingly introduce AI agents capable of interacting with information, systems and applications. Governance arrangements may need to account for the actions undertaken by AI agents, associated system and security logs, access permissions and the records required to demonstrate what actions occurred and under whose authority.

ASD’s ACSC recommends organisations maintain strong authentication and access controls, address vulnerabilities promptly, monitor unusual activity and security logs, apply patches, and test controls and incident response procedures against AI-enabled threat scenarios.

Source: Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre, Risks of AI misalignment to Australian organisations, published 24 September 2026.