Okta warns of rising risks from AI agent identities

A new survey from Okta underscores the growing urgency around identity security as enterprises increasingly adopt AI agents and other non-human identities, ITPro reports.

According to the research, 85% of organizations now see Identity and Access Management as critical to security, up from 79% last year. Yet despite rising concern, only 10% have a mature strategy for managing NHIs. These digital agents present unique challenges, including short lifespans, reliance on API tokens or certificates, and the ability to access privileged data without consistent traceability. Survey respondents cited access control, lifecycle management, and visibility as top pain points, with one healthcare executive warning that AI agents with unchecked access "can expose sensitive data or be exploited for attacks." Okta recommends enterprises treat AI agents with the same governance applied to contractors and employees, embedding strong oversight, secure-by-design frameworks, and clear ownership. Additional research from Silverfort predicts NHIs will grow 29% in the next 1218 months, with 87% of organizations boosting identity security investments.