As engineering teams adopt the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for agentic AI, security leaders face rising risks. MCP enhances machine-to-machine communication and significantly expands attack surfaces. Traditional security tools, designed for human interactions, struggle against new threats, such as unauthorized movements by compromised agents.
CISOs and CIOs must adopt a proactive strategy, focusing on two main challenges: overprivileged agent access and diminished visibility. Experts recommend implementing a “Principle of Least Privilege” review and a “threat-informed validation” program to simulate attacks and bolster defense.
To navigate this landscape, a “crawl-walk-run” approach is advised, starting with low-risk applications of MCP internally. Security leaders should also embrace real-time monitoring, open-source community tools, and shared intelligence to strengthen defenses collectively. By adopting a pragmatic, risk-aware strategy, organizations can enhance security while enabling innovation with agentic AI, transforming security architecture for a safer future.
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