Agent Identity Is Not Enough: From DIDs and AI Control Towers to Runtime Permissions

Agent identity in enterprise settings is evolving from merely a login mechanism to a critical component of execution governance, as it involves managing autonomous software actors that interpret goals, select tools, and execute workflows. Unlike traditional machine identity models which assume stable workloads, agent identity is dynamic, requiring short-lived credentials, continuous runtime authorization, and per-action checks to ensure secure execution control. Decentralized identity (DID) and verifiable credentials provide foundational trust for provenance and authentication, but they lack inherent runtime authorization, necessitating a layered approach where AI Control Towers offer visibility and inventory, while runtime authorization grants or denies actions in real-time. Delegated access should bind agents to human authority and intent to avoid disguised standing access, with zero standing permissions ensuring agents hold no enduring privileges between tasks. Real-time revocation and runtime constraints are essential for responding to behavioral changes, supported by a Policy Enforcement Point (PEP) and Policy Decision Point (PDP) infrastructure to ensure adaptive and accountable authorization.

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