𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗜 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝘂𝗍𝗵 You use AI agents to automate tasks, but have you thought about how they authenticate? There are three layers to consider:
- Layer A: Human to Agent to External Resource (ID-JAG, XAA)
- Layer B: Agent to Internal Service Chain (Transaction Tokens for Agents)
- Layer C: Agent to LLM Provider (Workload Identity Federation, WIF)
Each layer has a different spec and solves a unique problem. ID-JAG and XAA help narrow the scope of human permissions when using an agent. Transaction Tokens for Agents propagate "for whom" across the call chain. WIF authenticates the agent to the LLM provider.
You might think that if the user experience doesn't change, ID-JAG won't catch on. But that's only half true. The value of ID-JAG shows up when something goes wrong. It's like having insurance - you don't think about it until you need it.
The adoption of security infrastructure usually follows a three-stage model:
- The tech appears
- A flashy accident happens
- Regulation or industry best practices kick in
ID-JAG is currently in stage 1. It's likely to follow the path of DNSSEC or SPIFFE - a slow adoption due to lack of UX improvement and heavy setup.
Here's what you can do today:
- Start with Layer C (WIF) and replace static keys with Anthropic WIF or equivalent.
- Check the scope design in proprietary connectors from vendors like Anthropic, OpenAI, or Okta.
Source: https://dev.to/kanywst/the-three-layers-of-ai-agent-authentication-what-id-jag-transaction-tokens-and-wif-actually-1mbk Optional learning community: https://t.me/GyaanSetuAi