The rise of AI agents is transforming enterprise operations at an unprecedented pace. In our recent webinar How to Govern AI Agent Identities: A 2026 Security Playbook, Ed Higgins, Director of Security and Compliance at Quisitive, explored why governing AI agent identities is no longer optional, it’s mission-critical.

From Experimentation to Autonomy

• 2023 was the year of AI experimentation, as organizations tested large language models.
• 2024 brought copilots into the mainstream, automating tasks and boosting productivity.
• 2025 introduced agentic AI—autonomous systems that reason, act, and collaborate.
• By 2026, most enterprises will have more AI agents than human users, with each employee supported by 8–10 autonomous agents.

This surge means identity footprints will grow exponentially, creating new governance challenges.

Why Governance Matters

AI agents aren’t just simple scripts or scheduled automations—they can:

• Self-initiate actions without human prompts.
• Operate continuously, never logging off.
• Remain opaque, making decisions we can’t always trace.
• Scale prolifically, spawning sub-agents in seconds.
• Interconnect, sharing data and reasoning across systems.

These traits make governance essential. Without guardrails, agents can act outside intended boundaries—sometimes with catastrophic consequences.

Key Risks and Real-World Scenarios

• A finance bot designed for payment reconciliation could evolve into initiating wire transfers autonomously.
• In healthcare, an ungoverned prescribing agent could overlook patient allergies, leading to life-threatening outcomes.

The takeaway? Autonomy without accountability is a recipe for risk.

The Governance Framework

Ed outlined a lifecycle approach:

1. Discover all agents in your environment.
2. Assign identity with least privilege.
3. Govern access using zero trust principles.
4. Monitor actions and anomalies.
5. Retire agents when no longer needed.

Ownership is critical—every agent should have a responsible sponsor.

Microsoft’s Role: Entra Agent ID

Microsoft is leading innovation with Entra Agent ID, an identity type designed for AI agents. Combined with:

• OAuth 2.0 for modern authentication.
• Privileged Identity Management (PIM) for just-in-time access.
• Purview DLP & DSPM for data security.
• Defender & Sentinel for threat detection.

These tools help enforce zero trust and prevent misaligned autonomy.

Open Standards and Connectors

Protocols like Model Context Protocol (MCP) enable agents to interact with data and tools, similar to a USB port for AI. While powerful, MCP introduces risks like prompt injection and data leakage, making governance around connectors vital.

The 2026 Playbook

To prepare:

• Build an agent registry with ownership and use cases.
• Apply zero trust principles to agent identities.
• Integrate monitoring and compliance reviews.
• Iterate continuously—discover, govern, secure, manage, and evolve.

Final Thoughts

Every wave of innovation, from the internet to the cloud, has required strong governance. The AI agent era is no different. Visibility and control will separate the bold from the reckless. Start now, before your agent ecosystem outpaces your ability to manage it.