Agents are becoming durable participants in enterprise workflows. They read data, call tools, make decisions, and act across systems. Yet many organizations still manage them like temporary experiments.
An agent should have the same basic accountability expected of every important system: a clear owner, a defined purpose, an identity, approved access, and a record of its activity.
Identity creates a boundary
When an agent acts through shared credentials, its behavior is difficult to distinguish from the people and services around it. A dedicated identity makes permissions explicit and activity attributable.
Ownership completes the picture. Someone must be responsible for why the agent exists, what it is allowed to do, and whether those permissions remain appropriate over time.