Zscaler Plans to Acquire Symmetry Systems to Extend Zero Trust Controls for AI Agent Communication

AI-AI-cybersecurity

Zscaler announced plans to acquire Symmetry Systems, a company focused on identity mapping and data access intelligence for AI security. The move is designed to strengthen Zscaler’s ability to secure and govern AI agent communication through enhanced visibility into how identities, applications, and enterprise data interact across modern environments.

At the center of the acquisition is Symmetry Systems’ access graph technology, which maps relationships between human and non-human identities, enterprise applications, cloud services, SaaS platforms, AI systems, and data repositories. The technology aggregates and analyzes enterprise-wide access logs using AI to build a real-time graph of identity-to-data interactions across the organization.

Once integrated with the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform, the access graph is expected to provide the foundational intelligence needed for security teams to create and enforce policies governing how AI agents communicate with applications, datasets, and one another at scale.

Traditional identity governance models were built around static directories and predictable user groups. According to Zscaler, the rise of autonomous AI agents challenges those assumptions because agents operate independently, often using ephemeral identities and inherited permissions across multiple systems. As enterprises deploy increasing numbers of AI agents, organizations face growing visibility gaps around what data those agents access, the reason for access, and the identities operating behind those actions.

Zscaler and Symmetry Systems aim to address those challenges by combining access relationship mapping with Zero Trust policy enforcement. Symmetry Systems’ technology will identify how identities interact with applications and data, while the Zero Trust Exchange will use that context to determine and enforce appropriate communication and access policies.

For example, if an AI agent accesses a customer record, the combined platform could identify the triggering event, the identity used by the agent, and every system touched during the process. If suspicious or risky behavior is detected, Zero Trust Exchange policies could automatically initiate containment or restriction actions.

“As enterprises rapidly adopt AI, the old playbook for governing access built around users and directories cannot scale to millions of AI agents,” said Jay Chaudhry, Chairman and CEO of Zscaler. “With Symmetry Systems, we are adding the access graph that maps how every identity, application, and data source connects across the enterprise. This foundational visibility is what Zscaler’s Zero Trust Exchange will use to govern agent-to-application and agent-to-agent communication at scale, giving customers the actionable control they need to safely embrace AI.”

Zscaler said the acquisition expands its existing AI security capabilities, which already include AI discovery and runtime protection controls. The integration is expected to introduce several new Zero Trust capabilities for organizations deploying AI systems, including:

  • Deploy AI agents with confidence. Know exactly what each agent can access, what it has accessed, and why — the visibility security teams need to put autonomous agents safely into production.
  • Build least-privilege policies for AI. Map both granted and actual-use permissions across every identity, human and non-human, then use that lineage to define the minimum permissions each agent needs and enforce them through Zero Trust Exchange.
  • See the full data lineage. Trace any piece of data an AI agent touches, even when it passes through a chain of sub-agents and tools, so audits, investigations, and compliance reviews become straightforward.
  • Detect and contain anomalies instantly. Symmetry Systems surfaces unexpected agent behavior in real time, triggering automated Zero Trust Exchange responses to limit exposure before damage is done.
  • Calculate blast radius. If an agent or identity is compromised, understand in seconds exactly what data and systems are at risk.

“Symmetry Systems’ mission is deep security research that earns real customer love. Zscaler is an inspiration on both counts,” said Mohit Tiwari, CEO, Symmetry Systems. “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.”

The companies stated that the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the coming days.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. These forward-looking statements include the expected benefits of the proposed acquisition to Zscaler and its customers and its plans regarding Symmetry Systems’ capabilities. These forward-looking statements are subject to the safe harbor provisions created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. A significant number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from statements made in this press release, including those factors related to Zscaler’s ability to successfully integrate Symmetry Systems technology into its cloud platform and the potential impact of the acquisition to the existing Symmetry Systems business. Additional risks and uncertainties are set forth in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 26, 2026, which is available on our website at ir.zscaler.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Any forward-looking statements in this release are based on the limited information currently available to Zscaler as of the date hereof, which is subject to change, and Zscaler will not necessarily update the information, even if new information becomes available in the future.

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About Zscaler

Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) is a pioneer and global leader in zero trust security. The world’s largest businesses, critical infrastructure organizations, and government agencies rely on Zscaler to secure users, branches, applications, data & devices, and to accelerate digital transformation initiatives. Distributed across 160+ data centers globally, the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange™️ platform combined with advanced AI combats billions of cyber threats and policy violations every day and unlocks productivity gains for modern enterprises by reducing costs and complexity.

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