New EMA Research Reveals Rapid Adoption of Agentic AI is Outpacing Security Preparedness

Survey shows most organizations lack confidence in their current Identity and Access Management (IAM) stack to manage autonomous internal and external agents

LAFAYETTE, Colo., Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Enterprise Management Associates (EMA™), a leading IT research and consulting firm, has released new research, "Agentic AI Identities: The Unsecured Frontier of Autonomous Operations." Authored by Ken Buckler, Research Director covering Information Security, Risk, and Compliance Management at EMA, the study highlights a widening gap between the rapid adoption of agentic AI and the readiness of existing IAM infrastructures.

Based on 271 survey responses from IT, security, and IAM professionals, the research confirms that agentic AI is no longer an emerging concept; it is already reshaping operational practices. Only 2% of organizations with 500+ employees report having no plans or interest in Agentic AI. A significant portion of respondents are already using or interfacing with AI agents for both internal (employee-facing) and external (customer-facing) tasks.

Despite this high enthusiasm for deployment, the survey reveals a critical, organization-wide inability to prepare for the identity and security challenges these autonomous entities introduce. The most immediate risk organizations face is the belief that existing IAM solutions can absorb the identity load of autonomous agents. The data strongly suggests otherwise, revealing a critical, systemic unpreparedness.

"When it comes to agentic AI identity, most organizations are woefully unprepared for inherent security risks and operational challenges of managing those identities," says Buckler. Unfortunately, the industry has charged full speed ahead without fully accounting for those risks, with a significant number of organizations that do not have written agentic identity security policies deploying agentic AI before policies have been adopted. This creates a significant industry blind spot regarding agentic AI."

Key findings from the research include:

• 41% of organizations reported having security or reliability concerns with their current IAM providers, which is a major red flag given the autonomous nature of AI agents.
  
  
• 56% of medium organizations and 45.2% of large organizations cite unpredictable costs as the top challenge with their current IAM provider.
  
  
• 79% of organizations without written policies regarding agentic AI have deployed those agents anyway.

The findings underscore the need for a fundamental paradigm shift in IAM, where AI agents are treated as first-class digital identities, managed with the same, or even greater, rigor as human users. Without this shift, organizations risk introducing systemic vulnerabilities into their operational fabric.

This research offers actionable guidance to help organizations bridge the gap between agentic AI adoption and effective governance.

This independent research was conducted in conjunction with Ory, a modern IAM company that specializes in customer, agentic AI, and B2B identity management.

A detailed analysis of the research findings is available in the "Agentic AI Identities: The Unsecured Frontier of Autonomous Operations" paper.

Join Ken Buckler and Damon Tepe, Head of Product Marketing at Ory, for a free webinar on December 11 to explore the results and receive a complimentary copy of the research.

About EMA 
Founded in 1996, EMA is a leading IT research and consulting firm dedicated to delivering actionable insights across the evolving technology landscape. Through independent research, market analysis, and vendor evaluations, we empower organizations to make well-informed technology decisions. Our team of analysts combines practical experience with a deep understanding of industry best practices and emerging vendor solutions to help clients achieve their strategic objectives. Learn more about EMA research, analysis, and consulting services at https://www.enterprisemanagement.com and follow them on X and LinkedIn.

Media Contact:
Raleigh Gould
Enterprise Management Associates
303-543-9500
rgould@enterprisemanagement.com

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SOURCE Enterprise Management Associates