Microsoft sets out AI-led identity and access security priorities for 2026

Microsoft has outlined four priorities it says organisations should focus on in 2026 as artificial intelligence reshapes identity and network access security.

In a blog post, Joy Chik, president of identity and network access at Microsoft, said companies need to prepare for a world in which AI systems are embedded directly into workflows and increasingly act on users’ behalf. The four priorities are fast, adaptive AI-driven protection; stronger governance for AI systems and agents; an integrated “Access Fabric” built around Zero Trust principles; and a reinforced identity and access foundation.

At the centre of Microsoft’s approach is the use of AI to speed up security work that is traditionally manual. The post said that integrating generative and so-called agentic AI into security operations can accelerate investigations, policy tuning and incident response. Agentic AI refers to systems that can take actions, such as adjusting policies or triggering remediation steps, rather than simply generating text.

Microsoft cited internal research showing that identity administrators using its Conditional Access Optimization Agent within Microsoft Entra completed Conditional Access tasks 43% faster and 48% more accurately across tested scenarios. Conditional Access is a security approach that allows or blocks access to systems based on risk signals, such as the user’s location, device health or sign-in behaviour.

According to the post, Microsoft Entra now includes built-in AI agents that can investigate anomalies, summarise risky behaviour, review changes in sign-in patterns, remediate identified risks and refine access policies. For a lay reader, this means AI tools are being used to sift through large volumes of security data and suggest or carry out actions that would otherwise require human review.

A second priority is governance for AI and agents themselves. Microsoft said organisations should treat AI agents as “first-class identities”, similar to employees or service accounts. That involves keeping an inventory of agents, assigning human owners and governing what systems they can access.

The post described Microsoft Entra Agent ID as a way to register and manage these agents. Features include linking agents to responsible sponsors, automating lifecycle actions such as revoking access when an agent is no longer in use, and applying Conditional Access policies to block agents that show risky behaviour. The idea is to prevent AI systems from becoming unmanaged back doors into corporate systems.

Microsoft also highlighted network-level controls. It said Microsoft Entra Internet Access, part of the Microsoft Entra Suite, acts as a secure web and AI gateway. Working alongside Microsoft Defender, it can help discover unsanctioned applications, reduce the risk of prompt injection and block data exfiltration. Prompt injection refers to attempts to manipulate AI systems into revealing sensitive information or taking unintended actions.

A key theme of the post is what Microsoft calls an integrated Access Fabric. In simple terms, this means unifying identity, network and endpoint information under a single policy engine, Microsoft Entra Conditional Access. Rather than making access decisions in silos, the system evaluates users, devices, applications and AI agents together, enforcing real-time, risk-based controls.

This approach is rooted in Zero Trust security, which assumes no user or system should be trusted by default, even if it sits inside the corporate network. Every access request is continuously evaluated based on context and risk, rather than relying on a one-time login.

The final priority is strengthening the underlying identity foundation. Microsoft advised organisations to adopt phishing-resistant credentials such as passkeys, which replace passwords with cryptographic authentication tied to a device. It also recommended high-assurance account recovery processes and the use of Microsoft Entra Verified ID for onboarding and recovery. Verified ID allows organisations to issue and check digital credentials, reducing reliance on easily compromised passwords.

“The plan for 2026 is straightforward,” Chik wrote. “Use AI to automate protection at speed and scale, protect the AI and agents your teams use to boost productivity, extend Zero Trust principles with an Access Fabric solution, and strengthen your identity security baseline.”

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The emphasis reflects a broader shift in cybersecurity. As AI tools become embedded in everyday work, the boundary between human and machine identities is blurring. Microsoft’s message is that security models built around users alone are no longer sufficient. Identity, whether human or artificial, is now the control point, and AI is being positioned both as a risk to manage and a tool to manage it.

For organisations, the challenge will be execution. Adopting AI-driven security tools, governing autonomous agents and rethinking access models requires changes to processes, skills and culture, not just software. Microsoft’s roadmap sets out a direction of travel, but how quickly companies can follow it will depend on how ready they are to treat identity as the core of their security strategy.

The Recap

• Microsoft outlines four AI identity and access priorities.
• Conditional Access tasks 43% faster and 48% more accurate.
• Organisations should implement AI and strengthen identity in 2026.