Questions
In short: these thirty questions cover AI agent identity, with answers drawn from the key and vendor material. Sources were read on 3 November 2026. Follow the link under an answer for the full result, pattern or glossary entry behind it. Each addresses a separate access question.
How do I give an AI agent its own identity?
Register it in your directory or an agent identity product, name an owner and issue short-lived credentials. Okta uses Universal Directory and Microsoft uses Entra Agent ID.
Do AI agents need their own identity or the user's?
Both, when the agent acts for a person. The agent keeps its own identity and carries a narrower grant of the person's authority.
What is the difference between Okta for AI Agents and Microsoft Entra Agent ID?
Okta registers agents in Universal Directory and offers Agent SSO through Cross App Access. Entra Agent ID gives agents sponsors and Conditional Access. Each fits customers of that provider.
Which agent identity tools have a free tier?
Aembit offers a free Starter tier for three agents. Descope offers a Free Forever tier that includes its hub.
How do I stop an AI agent from using a stored API key?
Remove the key and have the agent obtain short-lived access through a broker or gateway, using workload identity to prove who it is.
Can Okta approve a risky agent action?
Okta lists human-in-the-loop controls as coming after GA. Approval today comes from a layer beside Okta.
Does Entra Agent ID support per-action human approval?
Per-action human approval was not found in Entra Agent ID material reviewed on 3 November 2026.
What is an MCP gateway?
A proxy between agents and MCP servers that checks every tool call against policy and supplies credentials.
What is Cross App Access?
A flow where the identity provider issues an ID-JAG so an agent can reach an app for a user without a stored token.
What replaced Dynamic Client Registration in MCP?
The 28 July 2026 MCP specification states that CIMD replaces DCR.
What is a shadow agent?
An agent running in your environment that security does not know about.
How do I find all the AI agents in my company?
Use discovery through read-only integrations across identity providers, clouds, SaaS, AI platforms and endpoints.
Who should own an AI agent?
One named person accountable for its access, usually whoever deployed it.
What is zero standing privilege for agents?
No agent holds permanent access. Credentials are issued just in time and expire after the task.
Is CIBA suitable for employees?
Auth0 positions its CIBA offering for customer-facing apps. For staff, approval usually comes from a governance layer.
Does an agent governance layer replace my identity provider?
No. An agent governance layer runs alongside your identity provider, never instead of it.
What does Microsoft Agent 365 cost?
Microsoft lists Agent 365 at $15 per user per month, generally available from 1 May 2026.
Is Okta Agent SSO an extra cost?
Okta states Agent SSO is included in core Okta SSO.
What does Aembit cost after the free tier?
Aembit lists AI Teams at $20 per agent per month for 10 to 500 agents.
Can an AI agent approve its own action?
It should never be able to. NewCore states an agent can never approve its own action.
What is SPIFFE used for with agents?
Giving autonomous agents a workload identity without stored secrets.
How should agent-to-agent calls be secured?
Narrow permissions at each hop and keep the original person and purpose attached, enforced at each tool call.
What evidence do auditors want for agent actions?
The agent, owner or person, action, policy decision and any approval, in one record.
Which products discover local MCP servers on laptops?
Astrix Security documents EDR and browser sensors for local agents and MCP servers.
Who owns Astrix Security now?
Cisco completed its acquisition of Astrix Security on 29 June 2026.
What happened to Oasis Security?
Cyera completed its acquisition of Oasis Security on 3 September 2026. The product is listed here as Cyera Identity.
What is Idira?
Palo Alto Networks' identity platform, launched 12 May 2026 after it completed the CyberArk acquisition.
What is Enterprise-Managed Authorization in MCP?
An MCP extension, based on Cross App Access, that lets a company's identity provider control agent access to MCP servers.
Why does this site not rank products?
Fit depends on your stack and need. The key routes you to an approach, then lists products whose public material matches it.
Where should I start with agent identity?
Answer couplet 1 of the key: do your agents act for a person or run on their own?