Definition
A dedicated security infrastructure that assigns verifiable, unique identities to AI agents—similar to issuing an employee badge to every worker—so that every action an agent takes can be traced, authorised, and revoked if needed. Unlike human-login systems, this layer is built to handle thousands of agents operating simultaneously at machine speed.
Why it matters
Without a proper identity layer, organisations cannot reliably tell which agent did what, making it impossible to detect compromised agents, enforce least-privilege policies, or meet audit requirements. The emergence of dedicated vendors in this space signals that existing IT identity systems are not fit for agentic AI at scale.