In today’s cybersecurity landscape, identity has become the new perimeter, asserts James Maude, FCTO at BeyondTrust. Modern attackers exploit stolen or misconfigured identities to access sensitive cloud systems without conventional hacking. As organizations increasingly adopt hybrid and cloud-first models, identity security emerges as the primary focus. The rise of AI agents presents additional risks, as many are granted excessive access rights without proper oversight. Maude notes that 60% of firms using BeyondTrust’s Identity Security Insights tool had active Microsoft AI agents, often surpassing 1,000 unmonitored identities. This lack of visibility leads to potential vulnerabilities, particularly when teams operate in silos, leaving gaps attackers can exploit. To mitigate these risks, Maude emphasizes the importance of conducting thorough risk assessments and adopting AI-driven tools to analyze identity landscapes. He advocates for best practices like least privilege and just-in-time access, ensuring AI identities are managed with the same rigor as human users to enhance overall security.
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