Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the enterprise faster than most security models were built to handle. In just a few years, it has become part of everyday enterprise work. And soon, AI agents will do much more than provide assistance. They will act autonomously across applications, workflows, data stores and infrastructure.
This shift is already changing the security conversation – as it should. When agents can act on behalf of users, systems and business processes, identity is no longer a supporting layer of cybersecurity. It becomes the control plane for deciding who or what can act, what they can access, how much privilege they should have and when that access should be removed. Fragmented tools weren’t built to support this level of real-time visibility and control. It requires a unified identity security platform.
Palo Alto Networks recent acquisition of CyberArk reflects our conviction that identity is a core platform pillar for securing the future of AI. Identity security is now a foundational layer across our portfolio, building on CyberArk's trusted privileged access management (PAM) heritage and extending it to address the complexity of hybrid, cloud-native, and AI-driven environments. It also advances Palo Alto Networks broader platformization strategy, driven by customer demand for integrated, AI-powered security solutions that reduce complexity and close gaps created by disparate point products.
For partners, the launch of Idira™, our next-generation identity security platform, represents a significant opportunity to help customers secure access, privilege and identity risk through a more unified platform approach. More than ever, our customers need knowledgeable, trusted advisers to help them rethink how identity connects to the rest of their security architecture across network security, cloud, security operations (SecOps) and the broader AI-enabled enterprise.
Identity Security is No Longer Human-Centered
Research for our 2026 Identity Security Landscape report found that 96% of organizations have human identities operating with access far beyond what is required for their roles. That finding is unsettling enough, but also consider how modern identity security must account for far more than human users and privileged administrators. It includes machine identities and AI agent identities, ranging from service accounts, workloads and APIs to secrets and certificates and to agents operating across multiple systems.
Our recent report on identity security also notes that there are now roughly 109 machine identities for every human identity. Each identity can carry privilege, create risk and expand the attack surface. That scale makes real-time discovery, governance and control of identities essential. Yet many organizations are still managing privilege in ways that weren’t built for the AI era. When identities can act across systems and attacks can move faster, standing privilege (i.e., always-on access rights granted to users or machines) becomes harder to defend.
The premise of Idira is that every identity within an enterprise is privileged. The platform helps enterprises move from the traditional operating model of human-centered identity architectures and static access tools to embrace one platform that secures every identity – human, machine and AI agent. Idira discovers identities, entitlements and access paths, dynamically applies privileges through just-in-time controls and continuously governs identity lifecycles.
These capabilities become even more crucial as customers work to reduce fragmentation across their security environments. They want better visibility, faster time to value, stronger controls and a simpler way to manage risk across the enterprise. They still need advisory, implementation and managed services expertise, but the conversation is no longer limited to firewalls, privileged access, cloud workloads or SOC operations in isolation. Customers want expert help in connecting these areas into a unified strategy that reflects how their environments actually operate, especially with AI in the mix.
The Identity Security Opportunity for Partners
My message to partners following our launch of Idira is simple but direct: Now is the time to seize this defining moment in identity security. The speed of business is accelerating, as is the speed of attacks. And we know many of our customers around the world are already trying to understand what AI means for their security architecture, operating model and risk posture.
Partners can help lead those conversations with customers. For specialized and regional partners, this might mean expanding the advisory conversation beyond a single domain of cybersecurity. For global systems integrators, it might involve creating a more scalable delivery model by reducing the cost and complexity of stitching together multiple vendor environments. We are also actively welcoming partners into the broader Palo Alto Networks ecosystem, creating new opportunities for identity-focused partners to expand their role across the full platformization strategy.
Across partner types, the identity security opportunity is both strategic and economic. By connecting identity security to the broader Palo Alto Networks platform strategy, partners can expand services offerings, deepen customer relationships and build a stronger model for helping customers reduce complexity, improve visibility, strengthen controls and get to value faster.
But first, sales teams, technical teams, solution consultants and managed service teams need to understand how Idira fits into the Palo Alto Networks platformization strategy and where identity security connects to customer priorities. That means taking full advantage of the sales demos, AI role plays, technical enablement and other active learning resources in Palo Alto Networks newly evolved NextWave program.
I encourage you to move quickly to build your understanding of Idira’s role in securing human, machine and AI agent identities and the shift from standing privilege to dynamic access. Be prepared to talk with customers about identity security in the context of cloud, network, SASE and SOC transformation, as you can be assured questions will be coming. Also, think about the services and offerings you can build around this opportunity. Identity security assessments, privilege modernization, machine identity protection, AI agent identity readiness and broader platformization road maps can all help customers take practical steps toward strengthening security in the rapidly evolving AI era.
Our partners play a frontline role in driving Palo Alto Networks platformization strategy and enabling our shared success. To help your teams educate customers about AI-related identity risk and how Idira can help them secure every identity in the enterprise, human or not, explore the latest resources, enablement and partner tools available through the NextWave Partner Portal.
Key Takeaways
- With the launch of Idira, identity security became a core pillar of Palo Alto Networks platformization strategy for the AI era.
- Idira helps organizations secure every identity – human, machine and AI agent – with dynamic access, continuous governance and real-time control.
- Partners have a timely opportunity to help customers reduce complexity, improve visibility and connect identity security to broader cloud, network, SASE and SecOps priorities.