Okta creates a common architecture for agent runtime security

Agent runtime security requires controls across the technology stack as companies move AI agents into production.

This week, Okta transformed its agent security framework into a multi-vendor reference architecture through the Blueprint Alliance. According to Eric Kelleher (pictured), Okta’s president and chief operating officer, the measure is intended to help buyers manage the demands of competing providers.

“One of the challenges for companies in dealing with this situation is [that] Every technology provider they talk to about every component of the stack tells them that they are the one-stop shop that handles everything,” he said. “So the biggest challenge for us when talking to our customers is helping them navigate the confusion of how they think about the problem and how they can easily secure AI.”

Kelleher spoke with Krista Case of theCUBE Research and co-host Rebecca Knight at Okta’s Oktane event during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed how the Blueprint Alliance brings together identity and security signals to monitor agent behavior and manage risk responses. (*Disclosure below.)

Okta coordinates agent runtime security across vendors

The Blueprint Alliance architecture breaks down agent security into four questions: Where are agents, what can they do, what are they doing, and how do they respond? Okta relies on endpoint and network telemetry for its identity signals, Kelleher explained.

“We will look at which agents are connecting to and compare that to the systems they are allowed to connect to to see if there are any differences,” he said. “This real-time data all flows back into a system to help us determine, ‘Does anything look suspicious?'”

Okta can deactivate a tagged agent to block new sessions and plans to extend its kill switch capabilities at the Agent Gateway to revoke active tokens and sessions. The appropriate response will depend on the agent’s behavior and the risk involved, Kelleher noted.

“There will be cases where agents, exploring their intended work, end up crossing boundaries that were not intended, so you want to redirect them and re-engage them,” he said.

Here’s the full video interview, part of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of Okta’s Oktane event:

(*Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for Okta’s Oktane event. Neither Okta Inc., the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor any other sponsors has editorial control over theCUBE or SiliconANGLE content.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE