Okta to buy Permiso Security in identity threat push

Okta has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Permiso Security, adding cloud-native identity threat detection to its security platform.

Permiso focuses on detecting threats across human, non-human and agentic identities in multi-cloud environments. The acquisition will bring new identity risk signals, behavioural analytics and threat detections into Okta's broader platform.

The transaction reflects growing concern among large organisations over identity-based attacks, particularly as companies deploy more AI systems, service accounts and software agents. Okta cited research showing 58% of executives reported an AI-related security incident or near miss in the past year.

Security teams are under pressure to track a rising number of machine and software identities alongside employees and contractors. Attackers have also shifted towards post-authentication methods, allowing them to move through systems after login rather than relying on more traditional intrusion techniques.

Permiso says its platform uses more than 2,500 research-driven signals from more than 70 identity partners to detect issues including excessive access, unused permissions, anomalous agent behaviour, policy violations and activity with potentially wide impact. Okta plans to use those signals to strengthen identity threat detection and response across the identity lifecycle.

That would expand Okta's role beyond core identity management into security operations workflows used by Chief Information Security Officers and their teams. Adding Permiso's technology is intended to help customers identify risks faster, address vulnerabilities and excessive privileges, and contain attacks across their technology environments.

Platform expansion

Okta is combining identity threat detection with identity posture management in a single security offering. After the deal closes, Permiso's technology is expected to help customers detect attacks across different identity types by linking authentication signals with behavioural analysis.

Okta also pointed to stronger monitoring of AI agents running locally, on software-as-a-service platforms and in cloud environments. Another element is SandyClaw, which Permiso describes as a dynamic sandbox for AI agent skills and prompts designed to detect AI supply chain attacks before they reach customer environments.

The combined offering is also expected to support automated responses to compromised or misconfigured AI agents in real time. That is intended to reduce the risk of unauthorised access and misuse as enterprises rely more heavily on agent-based tools.

Permiso's P0 Labs research team is also set to become part of Okta. The group's work on suspicious behaviour after authentication in cloud and AI environments is expected to complement Okta Threat Intelligence and feed into product development and threat hunting.

"We're thrilled to welcome Permiso to Okta as we help companies secure their agentic enterprises where humans, applications, service accounts, and AI agents work together," said Ely Kahn, Chief Product Officer at Okta. "Permiso will extend Okta's identity security fabric with proven identity threat detection and response capabilities, and an incredible threat research and security team that will advance Okta's threat detection and prevention capabilities."

For Permiso, the deal gives its technology access to a much broader installed base at a time when identity security is becoming more central to cloud and AI governance. The company has built its business around monitoring risks tied to credentials, privileges and activity across complex enterprise environments.

"Everything we've built at Permiso has been driven by one goal: helping customers stay ahead of identity-based threats in an increasingly complex security landscape," said Jason Martin, Co-Founder of Permiso. "Joining the leading, neutral identity provider means that work now reaches far more organizations than we could have on our own."

Co-Founder Paul Nguyen said the merger would give security teams a broader view of identity risk and a faster way to respond to threats.

"Together, we'll help security teams gain deeper visibility into identity risks, respond faster to threats, and strengthen their overall security posture," said Nguyen. "Combining our technology and expertise with Okta's platform is what makes comprehensive identity threat protection possible at this scale."

Customers are also watching how vendors respond to the spread of AI agents inside business systems. Autodesk, which uses Permiso as part of its cloud security strategy, said the technology helps it discover and monitor identities across its environment.

"When you need to secure enterprise AI at scale, visibility and threat detection are non-negotiable. Permiso gives Autodesk the ability to discover and monitor all identities across our environment, making it an important part of our broader cloud security strategy," said Sebastian Goodwin, Chief Trust Officer at Autodesk. "This helps us uphold the trust our customers place in Autodesk so they can design and make with confidence. We are excited about the potential of Okta and Permiso under one offering for securing our human, machine, and agentic identities."