What to expect at SailPoint’s Navigate event: Join theCUBE Oct. 6–7

SailPoint’s Navigate event, occurring October 5–8 in Austin, Texas, will focus on how identity security is evolving with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) agents. Krista Case, principal analyst and practice lead for cyber resilience and security at theCUBE Research, emphasized that agentic AI transforms identity governance into an execution challenge, necessitating a clear understanding of who or what is acting, what authority it possesses, and whether it should still be valid as the task evolves.

Enterprises are grappling with the scale and complexity of managing AI agents, many of which have access to sensitive data. According to a SiliconANGLE Media guest analysis by Zeus Kerravala, principal analyst at ZK Research, 97% of AI agents have access to sensitive data, yet only 21% of organizations feel highly confident in managing AI agent security risks.

Kerravala also noted that a SailPoint proof of concept discovered over 10,000 previously unknown AI agents within a Fortune 500 company, underscoring the need for improved visibility and governance.

SailPoint aims to address these challenges by moving beyond traditional periodic governance to an active, continuous security loop. Chandra Gnanasambandam, executive vice president of product and chief technology officer of SailPoint, stated that by unifying identity discovery, access lifecycle policy management, and real-time risk remediation, enterprises can proactively mitigate modern attack vectors.

However, agent governance extends beyond mere technical solutions; it involves establishing clear roles and responsibilities. Case highlighted that the most significant hurdle in agent governance is organizational; AI agents can be created and deployed rapidly, often outpacing the ability of traditional access processes to assign ownership and govern them effectively.

Therefore, enterprises must develop an operating model that integrates AI development, identity, security, and business operations before agent populations grow to a point where governance becomes reactive.

Identity systems are crucial in this scenario, providing context that runtime security alone cannot offer. Kerravala explained that while containment technologies like sandboxes can limit what an agent can do, they do not necessarily determine who created the agent, who is accountable for it, or how long its permissions should remain active. Identity serves as the authoritative source for all other security measures.

SailPoint is at the forefront of positioning identity as a critical control point in the era of AI-driven enterprises. With the integration of AI, the identity attack surface is expanding, as each AI agent introduces new vulnerabilities. Mark McClain, founder and chief executive officer of SailPoint, noted that a unified identity plane is essential for enterprises to innovate securely in a complex AI ecosystem.

As organizations increasingly rely on human, machine, and AI agents, identity management will need to evolve alongside these technologies to ensure comprehensive security. The Navigate event will provide insights into the challenges and solutions for effectively managing the new landscape of identities in enterprise security.