Okta’s AI boom just created a new security problem

Okta, an identity and access management company, reported a 11% rise in fiscal second-quarter revenue to $805 million, while subscription revenue climbed 12% to $793 million. CEO Todd McKinnon highlighted that autonomous AI agents represent a new security challenge for businesses navigating identity management. These AI agents, capable of performing tasks like reading emails, updating customer records, and accessing databases, demand trusted identities and clear access controls.

Okta introduced Okta for AI Agents, a software solution to manage these agents and enforce least-privilege access. The company projects a full-year revenue range of $3.22 billion to $3.23 billion following strong quarterly results. The growing reliance on AI agents introduces a new layer of complexity in identity security, prompting discussions about what it means for data security in the age of AI.