In fast-moving cloud environments like AWS, security teams face an uncomfortable truth: not every EC2 instance is being scanned, existing tools don’t work across a diverse environment that includes long-lived and ephemeral assets, and visibility is never complete. Qualys research found that over 30% of virtual machines have high or critical vulnerabilities, and with blind spots in your scanning, you may miss these critical risks.
Cloud Blind Spots Are Everywhere
The reason not all instances are being scanned is workloads:
- Are missing agents
- Lack SSM integration
- Have encrypted volumes
- Are so ephemeral that they spin up and disappear before traditional tools can catch them
These blind spots create gaps in visibility, weaken security posture, and force teams into constant firefighting.
The Agentic AI-Powered Solution
Qualys has introduced Agentic AI to change this game. With the added power of Agentic AI in Enterprise TruRisk Management (ETM), the agents it feeds don’t just identify VM blind spots—they autonomously decide how to close them and take action.
When you ask:
“Which of my EC2 instances aren’t being scanned? Can you ensure they’re covered?”
Qualys doesn’t simply report back. It investigates, decides, and acts—with no need for manual scripting or chasing down assets. There are no blind spots left behind.
How It Works
The agentic AI, through Agent Vikram, focuses on three aspects:
- Autonomous discovery
- Smart scan method selection
- Autonomous remediation
Autonomous Discovery
Agent Vikram connects to your cloud provider using existing cloud connectors, instantly inventorying all VM instances. From there, it:
- Detects assets not currently under vulnerability scanning coverage
- Flags blind spots before they become risks
Smart Scan Method Selection
The agent doesn’t just discover unmonitored assets. It autonomously determines and applies the best-fit scanning method for each workload, based on its runtime state and system configuration. For example, in an AWS Cloud Environment, it assesses the following:
- API-based for connected instances: It uses AWS SSM Agent for frictionless scans.
- Agent-based for long-running workloads: If the Qualys Agent isn’t installed, the agent deploys it remotely using authenticated scan credentials.
- Snapshot-based for stopped or short-lived instances: Snapshots get scanned even if the instance isn’t running.
- Cloud perimeter scanning for internet‑facing assets: Where traditional methods can’t reach, tackles encrypted volumes and vendor-managed appliances with no agent or SSM support.
That’s the power of Qualys FlexScan, enabling diverse scanning methods for full coverage across long-lived and ephemeral environments.
Autonomous Remediation
Discovery is just the beginning. If your environment is preconfigured (cloud connectors, scanner appliances, and remote auth scans), Agent Vikram goes beyond recommendations—it takes the wheel by:
- Remotely installing agents where needed
- Setting up scan schedules for ongoing coverage
- Initiating scans immediately to seal gaps before attackers can exploit them
Why It Matters
This isn’t just automation—it’s Agentic AI in action.
Agent Vikram continuously monitors your cloud for exposure gaps, applies context-aware decision-making, and closes those gaps intelligently and securely. You don’t have to write scripts, maintain brittle workflows, or chase assets around your cloud. With agentic AI powering every scan, cloud blind spots are eliminated, and you get:
- Continuous, gap-free coverage across any workload
- Smarter scanning decisions based on runtime state and environment
- True “hands-off” remediation that strengthens your security posture without adding more work
From Blind Spots to Full Visibility
Agentic AI represents a fundamental shift from endless manual effort to intelligent, autonomous cloud protection. It’s the evolution from chasing assets around your cloud to continuous, gap-free coverage that applies context-aware decision-making. With Qualys Agentic AI, your blind spots don’t just get discovered—they get eliminated.
No gaps. No guessing. No chasing. Just smart, autonomous protection for your cloud.
Find out more about Agentic AI on the Qualys Enterprise TruRisk Management platform.
