Cybersecurity is entering a new phase. While organisations continue to protect laptops, servers, networks and mobile devices, the greater risk increasingly lies in what a compromised identity is allowed to access and do. A stolen credential, authentication token or excessive privilege can turn a single compromised account into a much wider business crisis.
The concept of the βblast radiusβ is becoming increasingly important for business leaders. If an identity has access to sensitive customer data, financial systems, administrative controls or multiple enterprise applications, compromising that identity can allow attackers to move laterally and cause significantly greater damage.
The challenge becomes even more significant with the rise of AI agents. Autonomous systems are increasingly being given identities and access to applications, data and workflows. If those permissions are excessive, an AI identity could potentially operate across multiple systems at a speed far beyond human response capabilities.
For organisations, the strategic priority is therefore shifting toward least-privilege access, privileged-access management, just-in-time permissions and continuous monitoring. The objective is no longer simply to prevent every compromise, but to ensure that when an identity is compromised, the damage remains contained.
