Anthropic's Claude Mythos triggers sell-off in cybersecurity stocks

US cybersecurity stocks have been in a tailspin since Wednesday following Anthropic's announcement of Claude Mythos Preview, an AI model deemed powerful enough to warrant strictly controlled access. The company explained that the tool is capable of identifying thousands of software vulnerabilities, some long-standing, and that its public release would pose high risks of malicious use.

The market reaction has been brutal. Over three sessions, Palo Alto Networks has shed approximately 12%, Akamai Technologies 20%, Fortinet 8%, and CrowdStrike 11%. Investors fear that the acceleration of AI's offensive capabilities could weaken traditional cybersecurity frameworks and expose structural flaws in widespread software.

The issue has become so sensitive that, according to Reuters, Jerome Powell and Scott Bessent held an emergency meeting with heads of major U.S. banks to warn them of the cybersecurity risks associated with this new model. Anthropic has nevertheless sought to provide a framework for the technology through Project Glasswing, which brings together a dozen major partners and over 40 other organizations to automatically detect and patch critical flaws before they can be exploited.