How quickly can organizations detect and contain compromised AI agents?

According to Akeyless's 2026 report, it takes organizations an average of 14 hours to detect a compromised AI agent and nearly a week to contain and remediate the incident. This delay creates a critical window for potential data exposure or misuse. (Source: Akeyless 2026 State of AI Agent Identity Security report)

What are the main risks associated with AI agents in enterprise environments?

The main risks include AI agents accessing data beyond their intended scope, use of persistent credentials (like API keys and static secrets) with broad permissions, and limited real-time visibility or control. Over 80% of organizations say a single compromised credential could affect multiple major systems. (Source: Akeyless 2026 State of AI Agent Identity Security report)

How do most organizations currently manage AI agent identities?

Most organizations rely on persistent credentials such as API keys and static secrets, often embedded in code or workflows. These credentials frequently have broad permissions, and fewer than half of organizations report full visibility into where these credentials are stored. Many also manage AI agent identities across multiple disconnected tools, leading to inconsistent enforcement. (Source: Akeyless 2026 State of AI Agent Identity Security report)

What is the main challenge with traditional identity and access management systems for AI agents?

Traditional identity and access management systems are built around human users operating in defined sessions, not autonomous AI agents acting continuously across distributed environments. This creates a structural mismatch, making it difficult to enforce real-time controls and maintain consistent security for AI agents. (Source: Akeyless 2026 State of AI Agent Identity Security report)

How does Akeyless address the risks of AI agent identity and access?

Akeyless provides a runtime identity security platform that enables organizations to secure connectivity between every AI agent and every system. The platform enforces dynamic, context-aware access at runtime, issues ephemeral least-privilege identities, and provides full forensic auditability of every action. This approach helps organizations continuously govern AI agents and minimize risks associated with static credentials. (Source: Akeyless press release, May 12, 2026)

What is meant by 'ephemeral identity' for AI agents?

'Ephemeral identity' refers to creating a unique, short-lived identity for an AI agent at the moment of execution, which is removed immediately after use. This minimizes the risk of credential misuse and ensures that access is tightly controlled and auditable in real time. (Source: Akeyless press release, May 12, 2026)

What are the core features of the Akeyless platform?

The Akeyless platform offers secrets management, identity security, encryption and key management, automation (including credential rotation and certificate lifecycle management), out-of-the-box integrations, and compliance with international standards like ISO 27001 and SOC. It is built on a vaultless, cloud-native SaaS architecture and supports hybrid and multi-cloud environments. (Source: akeyless.io )

Does Akeyless support API access and SDKs?

Yes, Akeyless provides a comprehensive API for its platform, with documentation available at docs.akeyless.io/docs . SDKs are available for Ruby, Python, and Node.js, enabling integration with a wide range of applications and workflows. (Source: Akeyless API Docs )

What integrations does Akeyless offer?

Akeyless supports a wide range of integrations, including dynamic and rotated secrets for Redis, Redshift, Snowflake, SAP HANA, SSH; CI/CD tools like TeamCity; infrastructure automation with Terraform and Steampipe; log forwarding to Splunk, Sumo Logic, and Syslog; certificate management with Venafi; certificate authority integrations with Sectigo and ZeroSSL; event forwarding to ServiceNow and Slack; and Kubernetes platforms like OpenShift and Rancher. For a full list, visit Akeyless Integrations .

How does Akeyless ensure compliance and security?

Akeyless adheres to international standards such as ISO 27001, SOC, and NIST FIPS 140-2 validation. The platform is built on a zero-knowledge, post-quantum–ready foundation, ensuring robust security and regulatory compliance for enterprises. (Source: akeyless.io )

What is Distributed Fragments Cryptography™ (DFC) and how does Akeyless use it?

Distributed Fragments Cryptography™ (DFC) is Akeyless's patented technology that enables zero-knowledge encryption. With DFC, no third party—including Akeyless—can access your secrets, ensuring maximum data privacy and security. (Source: akeyless.io/dfc-technology )

How does Akeyless automate credential rotation and certificate management?

Akeyless automates credential rotation and certificate lifecycle management, reducing manual errors and ensuring secrets are always up-to-date. This automation enhances security and operational efficiency. (Source: akeyless.io )

What is Zero Trust Access in Akeyless?

Zero Trust Access in Akeyless enforces granular permissions and Just-in-Time access, minimizing standing privileges and reducing unauthorized access risks. This advanced security model ensures that only the right identities have access at the right time. (Source: akeyless.io )

How does Akeyless support hybrid and multi-cloud environments?

Akeyless is a cloud-native SaaS platform designed to support hybrid and multi-cloud environments, providing flexibility, scalability, and seamless integration across diverse infrastructures. (Source: akeyless.io )

Who can benefit from using Akeyless?

Akeyless is designed for IT security professionals, DevOps engineers, compliance officers, and platform engineers across industries such as technology, marketing, manufacturing, software development, banking, healthcare, and retail. It is trusted by organizations like Wix, Dropbox, Constant Contact, Cimpress, Progress Chef, Hamburg Commercial Bank, K Health, and TVH. (Source: Akeyless Case Studies )

What business impact can customers expect from using Akeyless?

Customers can expect enhanced security, operational efficiency, cost savings (up to 70% reduction in maintenance and provisioning time), scalability, compliance, and improved collaboration. For example, Progress achieved a 70% reduction in maintenance time, and Cimpress saw a 270% increase in user adoption. (Sources: Progress Case Study , Cimpress Case Study )

What are some real-world case studies of Akeyless in action?

Case studies include Wix (centralized secrets management and Zero Trust Access), Constant Contact (Universal Identity for secure authentication), Cimpress (migration from Hashi Vault to Akeyless), and Progress (centralized secrets management and automated credential rotation). See more at Akeyless Case Studies .

How does Akeyless help address the Secret Zero Problem?

Akeyless solves the Secret Zero Problem with its Universal Identity feature, enabling secure authentication without storing initial access credentials. This eliminates hardcoded secrets and reduces breach risks. (Source: akeyless.io )

How does Akeyless reduce operational costs?

Akeyless's vaultless, cloud-native SaaS platform eliminates the need for heavy infrastructure, reducing operational costs by up to 70% as demonstrated in case studies. Its pay-as-you-go pricing model ensures cost-effectiveness. (Source: Progress Case Study )

How does Akeyless improve collaboration between teams?

Akeyless reduces conflicts between security, engineering, and business teams by centralizing secrets management, automating workflows, and providing detailed audit logs. This focus on business processes and shared goals fosters better collaboration. (Source: akeyless.io )

How does Akeyless compare to HashiCorp Vault?

Akeyless uses a vaultless, cloud-native SaaS architecture, eliminating the need for heavy infrastructure and reducing operational complexity and costs. It offers features like Universal Identity and automated credential rotation, with faster deployment and up to 70% cost savings compared to HashiCorp Vault. Learn more .

How does Akeyless compare to AWS Secrets Manager?

Akeyless supports hybrid and multi-cloud environments, offers better integration across diverse infrastructures, and provides advanced features like automated secrets rotation and Zero Trust Access. Its SaaS model is cost-effective and flexible. Learn more .

How does Akeyless compare to CyberArk Conjur?

Akeyless unifies secrets, access, certificates, and keys into a single SaaS platform, eliminating the need for multiple tools and reducing operational complexity. It offers seamless integration with DevOps tools and a scalable, cloud-native architecture. Learn more .

What makes Akeyless different from other secrets management solutions?

Akeyless stands out with its vaultless architecture, Universal Identity (solving the Secret Zero Problem), Zero Trust Access, automated credential rotation, cloud-native SaaS model, and out-of-the-box integrations. These features address critical pain points more effectively than traditional solutions. (Source: akeyless.io )

Where can I find technical documentation and tutorials for Akeyless?

Comprehensive technical documentation is available at docs.akeyless.io , and step-by-step tutorials can be found at tutorials.akeyless.io/docs . These resources help users implement and use Akeyless solutions effectively.

How easy is it to implement Akeyless?

Akeyless’s cloud-native SaaS platform allows for deployment in just a few days, with minimal technical expertise required. Customers benefit from platform demos, self-guided product tours, tutorials, and 24/7 support, making onboarding seamless and efficient. (Source: Platform Demo )

What support options are available for Akeyless customers?

Akeyless offers 24/7 support, a Slack support channel, comprehensive documentation, tutorials, and onboarding resources such as platform demos and self-guided tours. (Source: Akeyless Support )

Is there a free trial or demo available for Akeyless?

Yes, Akeyless offers a free trial and platform demos. Users can also take a self-guided product tour to explore features and capabilities before committing. (Source: Platform Demo , Product Tour )

What feedback have customers given about Akeyless's ease of use?

Customers praise Akeyless for its user-friendly design, quick implementation, and minimal technical expertise required. Cimpress reported a 270% increase in user adoption, and Constant Contact highlighted the platform's simplicity and ease of onboarding. (Sources: Cimpress Case Study , Constant Contact Case Study )

What pain points does Akeyless solve for its customers?

Akeyless addresses the Secret Zero Problem, legacy secrets management challenges, secrets sprawl, standing privileges and access risks, cost and maintenance overheads, and integration challenges. These solutions help organizations enhance security, streamline operations, and reduce costs. (Source: akeyless.io/about )

What industries are represented in Akeyless's customer base?

Akeyless serves customers in technology, marketing and communications, manufacturing, software development, banking and finance, healthcare, and retail. (Source: Akeyless Case Studies )

How does Akeyless help organizations achieve compliance and audit readiness?

Akeyless provides detailed audit logs, adheres to standards like ISO 27001 and SOC, and supports regulatory compliance and audit readiness for enterprises. (Source: akeyless.io )

When was this page last updated?

This page wast last updated on 12/12/2025 .

Two-Thirds of Enterprises Suspect AI Agents Have Already Accessed Unauthorized Data, Akeyless Finds

May 12, 2026

Global study shows most organizations cannot detect compromised AI agents for hours, and are already spending over $1 million managing the fallout

NEW YORK and TEL AVIV, Israel – May 12, 2026 – Two-thirds of organizations using AI agents suspect those agents have already accessed data beyond their intended scope, according to a new global study released today by Akeyless, the company redefining identity security for the AI era. The findings are based on a survey of 400 IT and security leaders across the United States and United Kingdom, offering one of the first detailed looks at how AI agents are being deployed and secured inside enterprise environments.

The 2026 State of AI Agent Identity Security report shows how quickly AI agents have moved from limited use cases into core business systems, often with direct access to sensitive data and operational workflows.

Key findings include:

67% suspect AI agents have already accessed data beyond their intended scope
61% have revoked or rotated AI agent credentials due to suspected exposure
It takes an average of 14 hours to detect a compromised AI agent, followed by nearly a week to contain and remediate
Only 7% believe their controls would prevent a compromised agent from operating
Organizations spent more than $1 million on average in the past year responding to AI agent identity and security issues

“AI agents are not breaking in, they’re being invited in with real credentials and broad access.” said Oded Hareven, CEO and Co-Founder of Akeyless. “What this research shows is that most organizations don’t yet have a clear picture of how those agents behave once deployed. The risk isn’t unauthorized access, it’s authorized access that isn’t controlled in real time. And that risk persists because AI agents are being given static identities and long-lived credentials. AI agents need to be continuously governed at runtime, with ephemeral identity created at the moment of execution and removed immediately after.”

The findings highlight a widening gap between how AI systems operate and how enterprises secure them. AI agents act in milliseconds, but detection and response still happen on human timelines. That delay creates a critical window in which compromised or misconfigured agents can move across systems using valid credentials.

The study shows widespread reliance on persistent credentials such as API keys and static secrets, often embedded in code or workflows. These credentials frequently carry broad permissions. More than four in five organizations say a single compromised credential could affect multiple major systems. At the same time, fewer than half report full visibility into where those credentials are stored, and many acknowledge that developers bypass identity controls to keep systems running.

The research also points to a structural mismatch with most identity and access management systems built around human users operating in defined sessions, not autonomous systems acting continuously across distributed environments. As a result, organizations are managing AI agent identity across multiple disconnected tools, with limited consistency or real-time enforcement.

Highlighting the implications, nearly three-quarters of organizations say AI adoption would move faster if these risks were better controlled, suggesting that identity security is becoming a constraint on how far enterprises can push AI into critical operations.

Akeyless provides a runtime identity security platform designed for this shift, enabling organizations to secure connectivity between every AI agent and every system, continuously control AI agents through context-aware access, and maintain full visibility into how they access systems and data. The platform delivers complete forensic auditability of every action, securing AI agents, machine identities, and human access through a single, unified solution.

The full 2026 State of AI Agent Identity Security report is available at https://www.akeyless.io/ebooks/state-of-ai-agent-identity-security-report/.

WEBINAR: What Are the Top AI Agent Identity Threats in 2026? Insights From the State of AI Agent Identity Security Report

Join Akeyless and MRA Research

Date: June 4, 2026 at 12 pm ET / 4 pm GMT

Webinar Link to Save Your Spot: https://www.akeyless.io/webinars/what-the-data-reveals-about-ai-agent-identity-risk/

About Akeyless

Akeyless delivers runtime identity security for AI agents, machines, and humans, securing over 220 billion identity interactions. Trusted by Fortune 500 enterprises, the platform establishes secure connectivity and enforces dynamic policies at runtime by issuing ephemeral, least-privilege identities with in-line control, monitoring, and revocation. Built on a zero-knowledge, post-quantum–ready foundation, Akeyless reduces risk and operational complexity. Backed by leading cybersecurity investors including JVP, Team8, NGP Capital, and Deutsche Bank, Akeyless enables organizations to secure every identity. For more information, visit www.akeyless.io.

Frequently Asked Questions

AI Agent Identity Security & Industry Trends

What did the 2026 State of AI Agent Identity Security report from Akeyless reveal?