AI Takes Center Stage at Oktane 2025: While identity remains core to Okta’s mission, this year’s conference will focus heavily on the role of AI in the enterprise, from securing AI agents to managing new risks and opportunities.
Keynotes on Securing AI and Identity Fabric: Okta and Auth0 leaders will showcase technologies like Cross App Access and Auth for GenAI, highlighting how identity-first approaches can help enterprises securely integrate and manage AI agents.
Sessions on AI-Driven Risks and Defenses: Expert panels and fireside chats will explore how attackers exploit identity gaps with AI, and how enterprises are rethinking defense strategies against deepfakes, phishing, and large-scale credential abuse.
Okta has held its annual Oktane identity-security conference for more than 10 years, but this year's gathering, to be held in Las Vegas from Sept. 24 to Sept. 26, will focus not so much on identity but on — what else? — AI.All three keynotes described in the Oktane online agenda, except the on-stage interview with actor Jeremy Renner, will focus on the promise and perils of running AI in an enterprise environment. There will be a lot about how identity security can help manage and secure AI agents, and we have a hunch that the closing keynote, details of which aren't yet available, will too.Here's what we're looking forward to at Oktane 2025.
Keynote addresses and discussions
Okta CEO and Co-Founder Todd McKinnon's opening keynote, "Okta secures AI," on the morning of Thursday, Sept. 25, promises to show how Okta's technology, including that of its subsidiary Auth0, can solve the AI-management problem. He'll be sure to mention Cross App Access, an extension to the OAuth authorization protocol that Okta helped develop and which extends OAuth coverage to AI agents."You'll see how Auth0 helps developers create trusted agents that interact safely with customers and how the Okta platform brings those agents into your identity security fabric, giving you the tools to see and manage AI agents in your workforce," the description for McKinnon's keynote says.That's followed a couple of hours later by "Protect every identity, AI agent, and app with one identity security fabric," a discussion among four Okta executives — CPO Arnab Bose, CTO Abhi Sawant, SVP of Design and Research Kristen Swanson, and VP of Product Management Jack Hirsch — about what the company is doing to secure all identities as agentic AI is adopted across organizations."You'll also see how customers are using Okta to gain visibility and control to secure every identity — human, machine, AI agents," the keynote description promises.On Thursday afternoon, Auth0 President Shiven Ramji, Auth0 CPO Gareth Davies and Auth0 CTO Bhawna Singh will use the keynote "Don't just play the AI game. Win it securely with Auth0" to discuss how Auth0's technology helps third-party developers secure AI agents and access to AI within their own applications and services."Join us to hear how Auth0 is powering secure, personalized, AI-ready experiences and what this means for your development roadmaps, product vision, and organization's future success," says the description.
… and smaller sessions
Of course, the keynotes won't be the only talks discussing AI and its relationship to identity security. Okta Product Architect Abhishek Hingnikar and Auth0 Senior Director of Product Management Karan Chhina will present "AI Agents that just work: Unlocking MCP for the Enterprise," which will go into how Auth0's Auth for GenAI protocol can secure AI agents, even those using the somewhat problematic Model Context Protocol (MCP) to connect to third-party applications."AI agents are rapidly becoming integral to the modern workforce and everyday consumer experiences, transforming how people and organizations operate," the description explains. "Auth for GenAI is designed to empower these agents to work alongside humans, using the same tools employees rely on, while ensuring security and delivering a seamless user experience.""Identity-first or frontline failure? Real talk with leaders on AI, risk, and resilience," a fireside chat between Arun Shrestha, CEO and Co-Founder of BeyondID, and Laura Curtaccio, Head of Access Automation, Cybersecurity at Biogen, will look at how cybercriminals exploit identity-security gaps and how AI can serve both attackers and defenders."Modern cybercrime is driven by a thriving black market built on stolen credentials and identity exploits, and most enterprises are unknowingly contributing to it," declares the session description.And a panel discussion titled "Rethinking defense for the AI-Powered threat landscape" will feature Zscaler CTO of State, Local Government and Education Adam Ford, Okta AVP of Public Sector and Strategic Alliances Ralph Figueiredo, AWS State and Local Government Executive Advisor for Cybersecurity Maria Thompson, and CrowdStrike Global Public Sector CTO Karan Sondhi. They'll talk about how AI is changing the threats that organizations face, and how organizations are using modern tools to spot and mitigate those threats more quickly."AI has become the ultimate double-edged sword — arming attackers with deepfakes, highly convincing phishing attacks crafted by GenAI, and large-scale credential abuse, while also offering defenders new ways to fight back," promises the session description. "In a world where attackers are already inside, traditional defenses are no longer enough."You can register here to attend Oktane in person or to watch Oktane online for free.
Paul Wagenseil is a custom content strategist for CyberRisk Alliance, leading creation of content developed from CRA research and aligned to the most critical topics of interest for the cybersecurity community. He previously held editor roles focused on the security market at Tom’s Guide, Laptop Magazine, TechNewsDaily.com and SecurityNewsDaily.com.
One of Okta's primary goals is to use identity management to control and secure AI agents in the workplace, a company office told us at the Oktane 2025 conference.
Implementing and securing AI in applications will soon be available in the Auth0 development platform, Auth0 executives said at the Oktane 2025 conference.
