Cisco is experiencing a surge in network equipment sales as customers rush to replace unsupported devices following the emergence of Anthropic's Mythos AI model, which has proven highly effective at discovering security vulnerabilities. CEO Chuck Robbins told investors during the company's Q4 earnings call that major customers are proactively contacting Cisco to replace equipment that has reached its last day of support, fearing that AI-powered vulnerability discovery will make outdated devices too dangerous to keep in production networks.
The phenomenon, which Robbins calls "The Mythos Effect," stems from Mythos's ability to find security flaws faster than traditional methods. As vendors and open source projects push more patches in response to AI-discovered vulnerabilities, organizations with end-of-life equipment that no longer receives updates face mounting risk. One CEO of a major US manufacturer contacted Cisco early in the Mythos wave specifically to address devices past their support lifecycle. Robbins noted that some customers are funding these emergency replacements from security budgets rather than traditional networking allocations.
Cisco CFO Mark Patterson assured investors that the company can meet accelerated demand without significant lead time issues, taking a subtle jab at competitors who have reported supply constraints. Robbins positioned the Mythos-driven refresh cycle as one of three factors creating a network spending "supercycle," alongside quantum computing preparation and AI infrastructure buildouts. He expects agentic AI adoption to drive additional sales to both hyperscalers and enterprises discovering their existing networks cannot handle AI workloads.
The company reported strong financial results for fiscal year 2026, with revenue reaching $63.3 billion, a 12 percent increase year-over-year. Net income jumped 30 percent to $13.27 billion, with Robbins claiming the highest revenue, operating margin, and earnings per employee in three decades. However, investor reaction was mixed, with Cisco's share price initially spiking after the earnings announcement before settling four percent lower than the previous close.
Organizations concerned about AI-powered vulnerability discovery should audit their networks for end-of-life equipment and prioritize replacement of devices no longer receiving security patches. Security teams should work with network operations to identify unsupported hardware and develop refresh timelines, particularly for internet-facing systems and critical infrastructure. Given the accelerating pace of AI-assisted vulnerability research, maintaining current support contracts and planning regular hardware refresh cycles has become a security imperative rather than just an operational consideration.
Source: https://www.theregister.com/networks/2026/08/13/cisco-thinks-mythos-means-instant-death-for-unsupported-networking-kit/5287204