As AI agents rapidly move from experimentation to everyday use, Norton, part of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), announced the beta launch of Norton AI Agent Protection in Norton 360, a new security capability designed to help people safely use AI tools that can take action on their behalf.

AI agents are becoming embedded in how people work and manage their digital lives, automating tasks, executing commands, and operating with deep access to personal data and devices. The benefits are real, but so are the risks. Unlike the malware threats of the early internet, a compromised AI agent does not just infect a file. It makes decisions and takes action, meaning a single manipulated instruction can have immediate real-world consequences.

Norton AI Agent Protection introduces a new model: one where people stay in control without second guessing what their AI is doing.

"People are giving AI agents significant access to their machines, accounts and personal information because that's what makes them powerful," said Travis Witteveen, Head of Products and Portfolios at Gen. "But until now, there's been no way to verify what those agents are about to do and the potential harm they could cause with one bad decision or click. Norton AI Agent Protection addresses that missing trust layer, so people can use these tools with confidence, not guesswork."

Introducing Safe AI Execution
Norton AI Agent Protection delivers real-time oversight of every action an AI agent takes, creating a checkpoint between decision and execution. With Norton's AI Agent Protection:

• Safe actions proceed without interruption
• Confirmed threats are blocked automatically
• Suspicious actions are paused for user review

This gives people what has been missing in the agentic era until now: the ability to let AI act, while staying firmly in control.

Gen's Threat Labs underscores the urgency, identifying approximately hundreds of malicious skills in public agent registries. Even well-intentioned agents can expose credentials, introduce compromised dependencies, and execute destructive commands; acting quickly and autonomously, with unchecked access to sensitive data. By the time someone notices, it is often too late.

Traditional security tools protects devices. Norton and its flagship product, Norton360, has been centered around user-centric security. Today Norton AI Agent Protection extends that perimeter to cover AI agents from a growing number of platforms.

Advancing Gen's Agent Trust Layer
Norton AI Agent Protection was developed by Gen Threat Labs and Gen AI Foundry, the innovation team building and scaling the next generation of the company's AI-powered products. This launch marks an important step toward the Agent Trust Layer and Gen's ambition to secure AI systems from verification through execution.

By introducing real-time enforcement at the moment of agent action, Norton brings that vision to life, giving people a way to trust AI systems that can act independently on their behalf.

Built for How People Use AI Agents
Norton AI Agent Protection works across tools like Claude Code, Cursor, and OpenClaw. It's currently available to customers of Norton 360 on Windows, with support for Mac coming soon.