Arun Kumar Elengovan Explores Agentic AI at ICSISCET 2025

The 7th International Conference on Sustainable and Innovative Solutions for Current Challenges in Engineering and Technology (ICSISCET 2025) concluded on November 2, 2025, at the Madhav Institute of Technology and Science in Gwalior, India. This two-day event, organized by the Soft Computing Research Society, brought together researchers, academics, and technology professionals from around the world to discuss pressing issues in engineering and applied technology.

Among the distinguished speakers, Arun Kumar Elengovan delivered a keynote presentation that focused on the implications of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) in the context of cybersecurity. His session, titled “Beyond Prompts: How Agentic AI Will Redefine Cyber Defense,” highlighted the necessity for new cyber defense strategies as AI technologies continue to evolve.

A Conference Dedicated to Innovation and Collaboration

ICSISCET 2025 served as a vital platform for knowledge exchange, featuring a hybrid format that allowed both in-person and virtual participation. This setup not only broadened the audience but also facilitated discussions on innovative solutions to contemporary engineering challenges. The conference maintained rigorous standards for paper submissions, ensuring the quality and relevance of research presented.

Elengovan’s inclusion as a keynote speaker underscores his expertise in engineering security and AI-driven systems. His insights addressed how traditional cyber defense strategies may fall short as threats become increasingly sophisticated.

Keynote Presentation on the Future of Cyber Defense

In his keynote, Mr. Elengovan defined AI agents as systems capable of reasoning, taking actions, and learning from their environments. He articulated a shift from conventional automation to agent-based models, which empower systems to make context-aware decisions. He introduced the concept of large language model-based agents that utilize reasoning engines to create outcomes beyond fixed logic.

Elengovan emphasized the inadequacy of detection-based cyber defense strategies in the face of adaptive threats. He argued that rather than relying solely on signatures and static rules, agentic systems can analyze signals, formulate responses, and adjust their actions based on real-time data. He elaborated on the ReAct pattern, which integrates reasoning, action, and feedback to enhance decision-making processes.

The keynote also examined essential components of agentic security systems, including reasoning engines, memory management, and orchestration frameworks. Elengovan explained that short-term memory maintains task context, while long-term memory helps agents learn from previous interactions. Orchestration coordinates cycles of reasoning, action, and observation, improving system performance over time.

A significant focus was placed on the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a standardized method that facilitates seamless interaction between agents and external tools. MCP streamlines tool integration and enhances the reusability of components, reducing operational friction within cyber defense frameworks.

Elengovan also discussed distributed agent frameworks such as DAPR Agents, LangChain, AutoGen, and CrewAI. These frameworks enable collaborative efforts among agents, structured tool orchestration, and autonomous decision-making, illustrating how teams of agents can effectively manage complex cyber defense tasks.

A Leader in Security Engineering

Arun Kumar Elengovan has built a notable reputation in the fields of security engineering and cryptography. He currently serves as the Director of Engineering Security at Okta, Inc., where he leads diverse teams across the United States, Canada, and India. His career encompasses expertise in applied cryptography, secrets management, and resilience in engineering practices.

Elengovan’s contributions to the academic community are significant, having reviewed over 180 research papers for prominent journals such as IEEE Access and Elsevier MethodsX. His work as a Gartner Information Security Ambassador further solidifies his standing in the global discourse on cybersecurity.

The keynote resonated across various disciplines, offering a pragmatic examination of cyber defense strategies at a time when organizations are increasingly grappling with the dual-edged nature of autonomous AI systems. By grounding his insights in practical engineering patterns, Elengovan connected advanced research with the operational realities faced by modern digital environments.

In conclusion, his final message urged the research and engineering community to recognize agentic AI as a viable approach for securing future systems. As autonomous and distributed systems become more prevalent, the discussions at ICSISCET 2025 underscore the growing need for adaptable, intelligent, and resilient defense mechanisms in the evolving landscape of cybersecurity.