Palo Alto Networks Unveils Idira to Secure Machine and Agentic Identities in AI Enterprise

Palo Alto Networks Introduces Idira Identity Security Platform for AI Enterprise

Palo Alto Networks has officially launched Idira, a next-generation identity security platform designed to discover, control and govern all identities across modern enterprises 1

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. The platform marks a significant evolution in privileged access management by incorporating CyberArk technology, which Palo Alto Networks acquired in February for $25 billion, and extending those capabilities to machine and agentic identities 1

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. This launch addresses a critical security challenge that has intensified with the rapid adoption of generative AI inside corporate environments, where traditional identity point solutions built for yesterday's problems no longer suffice 2

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The Expanding Attack Surface of Machine and Agentic Identities

The threat landscape has shifted dramatically as machine and AI identities now outnumber human identities by 109 to 1, according to research cited by Palo Alto Networks 1

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. Compounding this challenge, 61% of privileged access requests are fulfilled with standing privilege rather than granted on demand, leaving enterprises vulnerable to identity threats 2

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. The company's research reveals that 9 out of 10 organizations experienced an identity-related breach over the past year, underscoring how identity has become the primary attack vector in the AI enterprise 1

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. As Peretz Regev, Chief Product and Technology Officer for Idira at Palo Alto Networks, noted: "Identity has become the new battleground of the AI enterprise. With adversaries now logging in rather than breaking in, every identity has become a target" 1

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Core Capabilities Built on Zero Standing Privilege and AI-Driven Visibility

Idira operates through three core functions that establish modern privileged access management standards. The platform uses AI to continuously surface identities, entitlements and access paths across an enterprise and flag risk, providing AI-driven visibility into the entire identity landscape 1

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. It applies dynamic controls in place of static access, enforcing zero standing privilege and just-in-time access for every identity, democratizing privilege access to ensure all identities are secured rather than simply managed 1

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. The platform also automates governance and compliance across the identity lifecycle using AI-driven policy, eliminating the fragmented approach of point tools that were designed when elevated access was reserved for a small group of administrators 1

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Seamless Migration Paths for Existing CyberArk Customers

Existing CyberArk software-as-a-service customers will receive tailored upgrade paths based on their current licenses 1

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. Traditional privileged access management customers will automatically receive discovery and user experience improvements, with the option to purchase add-ons for zero standing privilege and agentic and machine identity protections 1

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. Modern privileged access management customers on the IT Enterprise and Dev tiers will gain discovery, zero standing privilege and user experience enhancements at no additional cost 1

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. Workforce Access customers will see immediate user experience improvements and can upgrade to add full zero standing privilege and machine protections, while Secrets and Workload license holders can now add traditional privileged access management to consolidate on the Idira platform 1

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What This Means for Enterprise Security Teams

Idira provides security teams with a single control plane across what has become a fragmented identity landscape, addressing the reality that every identity—human, machine and agentic—can now operate with autonomous access to sensitive data and systems at scale 1

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. Will Townsend, Chief Analyst at LoneStar Advisory & Research, observed: "Over the past two decades, privileged access management was a vault problem. It is not anymore. The enterprise has become a sprawling mesh of human, machine, and agentic identities" 2

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. The platform is generally available today, with additional features slated for release later this year, positioning organizations to move from merely managing identity to actively securing it in the AI enterprise 1

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