Palo Alto Networks launched Idira, a new identity security platform that leverages its blockbuster CyberArk deal.

Described as an upgrade path for existing CyberArk customers, Idira is positioned as a next-generation identity security platform for the “AI enterprise,” extending privileged access management (PAM) to include machine identities and AI agents operating across cloud, software-as-a-service (SaaS), and developer environments.

Idira is designed around a zero-standing-privilege model, replacing persistent privileged access with dynamic access provisioning managed by a centralized control plane. According to the company, the platform continuously evaluates risk and automatically adjusts privileges for users, workloads, and AI agents.

On the last front, Idira – possibly named after a moniker meaning strength or power – aims to address growing security concerns around autonomous agents by tracking agentic AI deployments running across enterprise environments. It subsequently applies contextual controls to these agents based on ownership, permissions, and activity patterns.

Idira’s launch coincided with security research from Palo Alto Networks that claimed 90% of organizations experienced at least one successful identity-related breach over the past year. The study also reported that machine identities, including AI agents, now outnumber human identities by a ratio of 109-to-one.

A bizarre promotional video with noticeably artificial-looking visuals was also made to showcase the platform.

"Identity has become the new battleground of the AI enterprise. With adversaries now logging in rather than breaking in, every identity has become a target,” Peretz Regev, chief product and technology officer for Idira at Palo Alto Networks, explained. “By combining the deep expertise of the industry's original PAM pioneers with the unparalleled scale and speed of Palo Alto Networks, we are providing leaders with the precision and control necessary to govern the entire identity landscape and secure the future of innovation."

Regev, who held a similar title at CyberArk, joined the Palo Alto Networks fold following the completion of the $25 billion acquisition. Founded in 1999, CyberArk focused on IAM/PAM security, developing an end-to-end identity security platform covering multiple identity types across varied environments.

With CyberArk’s capabilities – components of increasingly networking-relevant zero-trust network access (ZTNA) and secure access service edge (SASE) architectures – Palo Alto Networks is positioning Idira as a rival to identity stacks from the likes of Microsoft and Okta.

Analysts previously noted Palo Alto Network's ambitions when the CyberArk deal was first announced, while stressing packaging was key, as identity buyers are not in the traditional cloud and network customer set for the firm.