build agents that can sign in without asking users for everything.
practical explanations of credentials, 2FA, passkeys, email access and the security boundaries between them.
how should ai agent authentication work?
AI agent authentication should give an agent only the login information a task requires, for a duration the user understands, while keeping every access visible and revocable.
read the guide password managers for AI agentswhat should a password manager for ai agents do?
A password manager for AI agents should separate encrypted credential storage from agent permission, release only approved fields and make every credential access visible to the user.
read the guide 2FA for AI agentshow can ai agents handle 2FA?
AI agents can handle 2FA by reading an approved service-specific inbox, requesting a current TOTP or asking the user’s phone to sign a passkey challenge.
read the guide MCP credential managementhow should credential management work over MCP?
MCP credential management should pair a named agent, request specific resources, decrypt approved values locally and record each sensitive tool call without placing the entire vault behind one tool.
read the guide passkeys for AI agentshow should passkeys work for ai agents?
An AI agent should use a passkey by sending the website challenge to the user’s trusted device and receiving only the signed WebAuthn assertion.
read the guide email access for AI agentshow can you give an ai agent email access safely?
Give an AI agent access to a service-specific inbox or selected messages instead of connecting the user’s entire personal mailbox.
read the guide AI agent security boundariescredential custody is not action authorization
Credential custody protects stored secrets. Access authorization controls retrieval. Action authorization controls what the authenticated agent may do. A safe system needs all three layers.
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