This is a republishing the original article can be found on Linkedin here originally by Brian Waltermire
By Brian Waltermire, CEO, DLT Alert
I learned pretty quickly that running your own AI agent is very different from using tools like Chat gpt or Calude.
A chatbot answers questions… an AI agent can actually do things, autonomously.
That became real for me when I bought my own high-powered AI server and started running my own personal AI setup called Open Claw. I wanted higher outputs, more privacy, and more horsepower, but once I started getting deeper into it, I realized the real challenge was not just getting the AI running.
The real challenge was making sure it did not become a security problem and leak things like my passwords and personal files. My concerns were;
- Can it access credentials?
- What files can the agent read?
- Can it access sensitive folders?
- Can it call outside tools?
- What can it really do when it connects to my email and Telegram?
- Can it execute commands?
- Can it change its own configuration?
Those questions stopped being theoretical very quickly.
That is why the recent Guardz article on AI agent security caught my attention. The article showed how local AI agents can create serious exposure when they have broad system access, weak security settings, exposed control interfaces, plaintext credentials, or unsafe tool connections.
Basically: AI agents are becoming a new privileged access layer. Not a user, not a guest, but something else all together.
And most companies are not ready for that.
This is exactly why DLT Alert is now building what we believe is the first-of-its-kind AI cyber warranty.
The idea is simple… If a cybersecurity company can scan and validate the security controls around enterprise AI chatbots and AI agents, DLT Alert can use those verified results to support a warranty.
When the controls are in place, the warranty is active. When critical controls fail, the warranty can pause. When the customer fixes the issue, the warranty can turn back on.
That is the future of cyber warranties.
Not static paperwork. Not one-time questionnaires. Not a vague promise that everything is secure.
A live, telemetry-backed warranty connected to actual security controls.
For AI agents, those controls matter. Is the agent exposed to the internet? Are APIs authenticated? Are secrets protected? Is shell access restricted? Are tools approved? Is network access limited? Is endpoint monitoring turned on?
Those are the kinds of questions that should determine whether warranty protection is active.
My own experience building and securing a personal OpenClaw AI environment gave me a real appreciation for this problem. AI is incredibly powerful, but once it starts touching files, tools, workflows, and business systems, it needs guardrails.
That is where DLT sees the opportunity.
A strong AI security scanner tells the customer what needs to be fixed. A DLT warranty gives the customer a financial reason to keep it fixed.
That combination can help cybersecurity companies drive adoption, improve retention, and give enterprise customers more confidence as they deploy AI agents.
AI agents are not just another software tool. They are becoming operators inside the business.
And when software starts acting like an operator, the market needs a new kind of warranty.
