Architecture & Integration
Agent Authority Technical Deep Dive
Learn how Agent Authority leverages open identity standards and a flexible architecture that fits into your existing IT ecosystem—hooking AI agents into the same identity fabric as any user or application.
Identity Integration Architecture
SecureAuth's Continuous Authority platform serves as the enterprise OAuth authorization server—the "brain" for authentication and authorization—while AI services like Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers enforce decisions at runtime. This design hooks AI agents into the same identity fabric as any user or application.
AI Agents
Authorization Server
Resources
SecureAuth as Authorization Server
SecureAuth's Continuous Authority platform acts as the OAuth 2.1 Authorization Server—the source of truth for who/what is allowed. All AI agent authentication is delegated here, with enterprise features like SSO, MFA, and centralized user management.
MCP as Resource Server
The MCP server consumes tokens issued by SecureAuth to authorize agent requests. It remains stateless regarding auth—no user database or login UI needed. Simply trusts whatever tokens the authorization server issues.
How Token Validation Works
Every request from an AI agent must prove its identity and permissions. No token, no entry—this is fundamental to Zero Trust.
Token Validation Flow
Key insight: If an employee's account is disabled, their AI agent access is disabled too. If MFA is required for sensitive scopes, that applies to AI as well. All identity policies remain consistent.
Works With Your Identity Stack
Agent Authority connects to the identity providers, gateways, agents and enterprise tools you already run. Nothing is replaced: each layer keeps its job, and Agent Authority adds per-request access control for AI agents across all of them.
| Integration | Examples | How Agent Authority connects |
|---|---|---|
| Identity providers | SecureAuth, Okta, Ping Identity, Microsoft Entra ID and others | Agent Authority sits downstream of your IdP and delegates user authentication to it, so the SSO, MFA and account policies you already enforce also apply to AI agents. |
| MCP servers and API gateways | MCP servers, API gateways and data APIs | MCP servers and API gateways act as resource servers: they validate the tokens Agent Authority issues on every request and enforce scopes per operation, with no user database or login UI of their own. |
| Agent frameworks and LLM platforms | Claude, Claude Code, ChatGPT, Gemini, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Codex and in-house agents | Each agent is an OAuth client. MCP-capable agents connect to one Agent Authority endpoint with no SDK, and prompts sent to model providers pass through LLM security for redaction and injection defense. |
| Enterprise and SaaS tools | Salesforce, Slack, GitHub, Atlassian, Microsoft 365, DocuSign, Snowflake, ServiceNow and Workday | Agents reach enterprise apps only through Agent Authority policy, which authorizes each tool call per request down to the operation and its arguments and can redact responses before the agent reads them. |
| SIEM, SOAR and XDR | Splunk, Datadog, CrowdStrike, Microsoft Sentinel | Agent Authority forwards every allow, deny and redaction decision by webhook to the security tools your team already runs. |
| Deployment targets | MCP gateway, employee laptops and desktops, CI runners, model providers | Agent Authority enforces policy at three points: the MCP gateway for tool calls, endpoint sensors on the devices agents run on, and the LLM path for prompts sent to model providers. |
OAuth 2.1 Authentication Flows
Different flows for different scenarios: user-interactive agents that need consent, and autonomous machine-to-machine processes.
User-Interactive Flow
Authorization Code + PKCE
Agent redirects user to SecureAuth
User is sent to SecureAuth's authorization endpoint with PKCE challenge
User authenticates (SSO/MFA)
User logs in and sees consent screen describing agent permissions
Authorization code returned
Upon approval, SecureAuth issues auth code back to agent's redirect URI
Agent exchanges code for tokens
Agent's backend redeems code with PKCE verifier at token endpoint
Tokens issued
Access token, refresh token, and ID token returned to agent
Agent calls MCP with token
Bearer token included in API calls; MCP validates and authorizes
Autonomous Machine Flow
Client Credentials
Agent authenticates directly
Agent presents client ID + secret (or certificate) to token endpoint
SecureAuth validates credentials
SecureAuth verifies client identity and checks authorized scopes
Access token issued
Short-lived token with machine identity (no end-user context)
Agent calls MCP with token
Token validated same as user flow; scopes enforced per-action
PKCE Protection
The AI agent never sees user passwords. PKCE ensures authorization codes are bound to the original request—even if intercepted, they can't be used by an imposter.
Short-Lived Tokens
Machine clients get short-lived bearer tokens each time—no long-lived passwords or API keys embedded in processes. If compromised, revoke credentials to immediately block access.
Runtime Control Capabilities
By funneling AI access through identity tokens, SecureAuth enables powerful runtime controls that were previously impossible with static API keys. For how Agent Authority makes and enforces those decisions, read the runtime control plane explainer.
Real-Time Revocation
Kill active tokens or block agent credentials instantly. The next API call fails auth immediately—no hunting down infrastructure.
Step-Up Authentication
Require additional verification for high-risk operations. Trigger CIBA flow or quarantine request until human approves.
Local Policy Enforcement
API gateways check token scopes against allowed operations. Write-scoped token can't read; read-scoped token can't write.
Audit & Analytics
Every token issuance and resource access logged with rich context. Run analytics to detect anomalies and refine policies.
Advanced OAuth 2.1 Capabilities
Cutting-edge OAuth/OIDC extensions especially useful in complex AI environments—granular, context-rich authorization with flexible user consent options. For the security profile we treat as the baseline, see FAPI 2.0 for agent API security.
Token Exchange
Allows one service to exchange a token for a new token to call another service, preserving user context through multi-hop workflows while maintaining least privilege.
- AI agent calls Tool A, which needs to call Tool B
- Each microservice gets minimal scoped token
- Prevents token reuse across components
Rich Authorization Requests
Enables fine-grained permissions using structured JSON instead of simple scope strings. Perfect for dynamic AI requests with specific context constraints.
- Request specific record access: 'table: customers, id: 12345'
- Runtime permission granularity without pre-defined scopes
- Greatly reduced blast radius for rogue agents
Pushed Authorization Requests
Sends authorization parameters via secure back-channel POST instead of browser URL, ensuring request integrity and supporting complex authorization payloads.
- Protect sensitive RAR JSON from browser exposure
- Support very large or complex authorization requests
- Pre-validate requests before user interaction
Backchannel Authentication
Authenticate users via secondary device without requiring interaction on the agent's interface. Essential for voice assistants, IoT, and headless AI systems.
- Voice AI requests approval via push notification
- Headless server agents get human authorization
- 'Emergency brake' for AI—require human OK for critical actions
Key Takeaways
Agent Authority Integration Questions
Does Agent Authority work with Okta, Microsoft Entra ID or Ping Identity?
Yes. Agent Authority works with the identity provider you already have, including SecureAuth, Okta, Ping Identity and Microsoft Entra ID. It sits downstream of your IdP and delegates authentication to it, so the SSO, MFA and account policies you already enforce apply to AI agents too. If an employee's account is disabled, the agents acting for that employee lose access as well.
Does Agent Authority replace our identity provider?
No. Agent Authority does not replace your identity provider. Your IdP keeps authenticating people, and SecureAuth acts as the OAuth 2.1 authorization server that issues and revokes the tokens agents use. On top of that, Agent Authority adds what an IdP alone does not do for agents: real-time authorization of every tool call per request, runtime revocation, step-up approval for high-risk actions, and a record of every token issuance and resource access.
How do AI agents get access tokens from Agent Authority?
AI agents are OAuth clients of the SecureAuth authorization server. An agent acting for a person sends that person to SecureAuth to sign in and consent, then redeems the authorization code with its PKCE verifier for tokens. An autonomous agent presents its client ID and secret, or a certificate, and receives a short-lived token with its own machine identity. The agent never sees user passwords and needs no standing credentials.
What are the two OAuth 2.1 flows in Agent Authority for?
The user-interactive flow is for agents that act for a person: the user signs in with SSO and MFA, approves a consent screen describing the agent's permissions, and the agent receives tokens tied to that user. The autonomous machine flow is for agents with no person involved: the agent authenticates directly and gets a short-lived token with machine identity only. Agent Authority validates both tokens the same way and enforces scopes per action.
Where does Agent Authority sit at runtime?
At runtime, SecureAuth is the authorization server that issues and revokes agent tokens, and MCP servers and API gateways are resource servers that validate those tokens on every request. No token means no entry. Because every call carries a token, Agent Authority can revoke access in real time so the next call fails, require step-up approval for high-risk operations, enforce scopes per operation, and log every token issuance and resource access.
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