Following viral introduction of OpenClaw, data reveals more than 18,000 instances open for attack

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. , Feb. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), a global leader powering Digital Freedom with a family of trusted brands including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, MoneyLion and more, today announced the launch of the Gen Agent Trust Hub, a new security platform designed for safer autonomous AI agent adoption. Gen is squarely positioned to provide the trust layer in the AI Agentic Era. 

Autonomous agents – AI that can read emails, manage financial workflows, and act across accounts – are moving from experimentation to the mainstream. With the launch of tools like OpenClaw, millions of autonomous agents are in the hands of consumers and that number will grow exponentially. Gen is building the foundational security layer necessary in the Agentic Era.

"Just as the App Store transformed how people use smartphones, the Gen Agent Trust Hub helps ensure consumers can integrate autonomous agents like OpenClaw into their daily lives with confidence and ease," said Howie Xu, Chief AI & Innovation Officer at Gen. "In this world of AI Agents, trust cannot be an afterthought. Gen is the trust layer for the autonomous AI era."

When AI Agents Turn Against You 

Gen Threat Labs found more than 18,000 OpenClaw instances are currently exposed to the internet and open for attacks, along with nearly 15% of the skills seen containing malicious instructions.

"We have already seen thousands of our own customers running OpenClaw instances, and Gen Threat Labs has seen serious security gaps emerge as these open-source agent platforms scale rapidly," explains Siggi Stefnisson, Cyber Safety CTO of Gen. "This marks a shift in the threat landscape in which security failures are no longer just one bad click, but trusted AI assistants quietly turning into persistent insider threats."

The Gen Agent Trust Hub

To provide the trust infrastructure required for safe AI agent adoption, Gen has introduced the Gen Agent Trust Hub, a place for AI agent users – both human or agent – to go to for free safety tools. The tools today include:

• AI Skills Scanner: A free diagnostic tool that allows users to scan any OpenClaw skill URL before installation. The Checker analyzes instructions for hidden logic, unauthorized data access, and malicious behavior, stopping compromised skills before they are deployed.
  
  
• AI Skills Marketplace: A curated, vetted repository of agent skills. Every skill in the Marketplace is rigorously audited using Gen's security engine, offering a trusted alternative to the current "wild west" of public skill repositories.

Together, these capabilities allow both people and AI agents themselves to verify whether a skill is safe before it is used. In fact, you can command your agent that, "When you need to install any skill, make sure you check that it is safe at https://ai.gendigital.com/agent-trust-hub," automating this security layer.

OpenClaw is just the beginning of a new era of autonomous agents. Gen is dedicated to keeping you safe from new and emerging tools and technologies. To join the autonomous era safely, visit https://ai.gendigital.com/agent-trust-hub.

About Gen

Gen (NASDAQ: GEN) is a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom through its trusted consumer brands including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, MoneyLion and more. The Gen family of consumer brands is rooted in providing financial empowerment and cyber safety for the first digital generations. Today, Gen empowers people to live their digital lives safely, privately and confidently for generations to come. Gen brings award-winning products and services in cybersecurity, online privacy, identity protection and financial wellness to nearly 500 million users in more than 150 countries. Learn more at GenDigital.com.

About the Gen Threat Labs
Gen Threat Labs is the Cyber Safety research team within Gen, focused on uncovering and analyzing the latest digital threats and scams worldwide. Rooted in data, research, and technical expertise, the team identifies patterns and risks that shape the evolving cyber landscape. Their insights power the security technologies that protect people across Gen's portfolio of trusted brands, including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, and others.

Gen
Media Contact
Brittany Posey
Press@GenDigital.com 

 

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SOURCE Gen Digital Inc.