Agentic AI,
Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning,
Identity & Access Management
Durand: Agentic Models Demand Enhanced Verification and Advanced Access Controls
The increasing weaponization of trust by malicious actors is compelling businesses to reassess their identity verification strategies, especially during initial customer interactions.
In-Depth Reading: Identity-Based Attacks: When MFA Isn’t Enough
According to Ping Identity CEO Andre Durand, organizations must devise ways to integrate human oversight while ensuring that their brand stays visible to decision-makers, even if those decision-makers are AI-driven agents. As businesses increasingly utilize API-based access for these agents, the challenge lies in differentiating between beneficial and harmful agents, akin to distinguishing between benign and malicious bots.
“We are witnessing a significant rise in threats targeting the entry point of the identity lifecycle, which intensifies the focus on the verification process,” Durand noted. “Simultaneously, there’s a critical risk that AI agents acting on our behalf may disrupt traditional brand interactions. This raises the question: how will brands adapt when omni-channel paradigms shift?”
In a video interview with Information Security Media Group, Durand also elaborated on the emerging trends regarding agent-centric interactions across channels, emphasizing the necessity for concurrent verification and multifactor authentication (MFA) enrollment, as well as the increase in sophisticated attacks aimed at onboarding and re-enrollment processes.
Ping Identity protects over three billion identities globally and serves more than half of the Fortune 100. Prior to establishing Ping Identity in 2002, Durand co-founded Jabber to commercialize the Jabber open-source instant messaging platform, which was later acquired by Cisco in 2008. He currently holds a board position with Jamf.
