Identity, access controls central to modern protection, execs say

As World Cloud Security Day highlights cloud-related risks, executives from Docusign, BeyondTrust, and Saviynt argue that identity, data sovereignty, and basic access controls are now central to cloud security, according to Security Brief Australia.

Docusign's Ed Knott said every agreement is an act of trust, emphasizing independent certification and data residency in Australia. BeyondTrusts James Maude noted many cloud incidents trace back to routine access decisions and overlooked misconfigurations, urging reduced standing privilege. Morey Haber said identity is the new control plane for attackers, warning that non-human identities, APIs, and AI agents expand the attack surface.

Saviynt's Vijay Chaudhari called cloud security a core business priority, adding that AI agents operate autonomously with elevated access and limited oversight, creating a significant security gap. He said organizations must treat AI agents as first-class identities with lifecycle management, least-privilege, just-in-time access, and session monitoring. Docusign's Knott noted 69% of organizations have observed a rise in identity fraud, making integrated, government-backed ID systems essential.