Akamai Technologies has launched a new “agentic security framework” designed to enable trusted, scalable interactions in an emerging AI-driven digital economy, as autonomous agents increasingly act on behalf of users in online transactions.
Announced from Cambridge, Massachusetts, the framework integrates identity verification, observability, trust assessment and edge security into a unified, real-time decisioning layer. The company said the approach is aimed at helping enterprises securely manage AI-driven commerce while maintaining performance and user experience.
At the core of the framework are six integrated pillars delivered through a partner ecosystem. Central to this is a “Know Your Agent” (KYA) protocol, developed in collaboration with partners including Skyfire and Experian, which links AI agents to verified human users. This enables organisations to authenticate not only the agent itself but also the individuals, addressing accountability concerns in automated transactions.
Akamai is also working with Visa to align with its Trusted Agent Protocol, which establishes standards for identity, authorisation and transaction-level trust in payment environments. “Without trusted identity and explicit permissioning, AI agents cannot participate in commerce at scale,” said Rubail Birwadker, Visa’s head of growth products and partnerships.
The framework further incorporates integrations with identity providers such as Auth0 and Ping Identity, allowing enterprises to extend existing authentication measures—including behavioural analysis and multi-factor authentication—to AI agents. This ensures continuity between human intent and automated actions.
A key feature is adaptive trust analysis, which moves beyond binary security decisions to dynamically assess the intent and risk of each interaction across browsers, bots and agents. Combined with Akamai’s distributed edge infrastructure, this enables real-time enforcement of security policies without compromising latency.
The company also positions the framework as a commercial enabler. Through partnerships with TollBit and Skyfire, Akamai introduces mechanisms for content owners to monetise AI-driven traffic via tokenised, pay-per-request models. This reflects a broader shift as AI agents increasingly consume and act on web-based data.
Operational visibility is another focus, with tools such as TrafficPeak providing detailed analytics to distinguish between human users, beneficial agents and malicious bots. This allows organisations to refine both security controls and revenue strategies based on agent behaviour.
“AI agents are replacing clicks, acting and handling commerce for us,” said Patrick Sullivan, Akamai’s CTO of security strategy. “Businesses need to recognise not just the agent, but who is behind it and what it’s trying to do.”
The launch underscores growing industry efforts to establish trust frameworks for agentic AI, as businesses seek to balance automation, security and monetisation in next-generation digital commerce.
