AI Agents Are a New Kind of Identity — and Most Orgs Aren't Ready

News, news analysis, and commentary on the latest trends in cybersecurity technology.

If you're handling AI agents like a service account or API token, consider yourself behind. AI agents need a fundamentally different approach.

July 9, 2026

I recently read an opinion piece on TechTarget by Todd Thiemann, a principal analyst at Omdia, on identity security for AI agents. It is one of the clearest articlesI have read on this topic. But it also made me think about something that I want to dig into further because it's the most important factor in enterprise security right now, and it's not getting the attention it deserves: the development environment.

Thiemann makes a point that I have been making for a while now, and it's worth repeating loudly: AI agents are not just another type of nonhuman identity. They are fundamentally different. If you're still treating them like a service account or an API token, you are already behind.

AI Agents Are a New Kind of Identity — and Most Orgs Aren't Ready

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