AFFIXIO
Machine identity
Machine identity agent eligibility gates
Machine identity programmes cover workloads, bots, and agents. Eligibility for consequential actions still needs a signed allow or deny that verifiers check at runtime, not a standing API key in a config file. AffixIO issues short-lived proofs bound to machine identity and policy, with Merkle audit and zero PII at the verifier by default.
Definition
Machine identity eligibility gates are signed allow or deny checks that prove a non-human identity may perform a gated action under policy at presentation time.
Field note. Broad machine credentials let one compromised node act as any agent in your fleet. Scope eligibility per session.
Eligibility proofs for agent workloads
Keep machine identity in your IAM and cloud provider. AffixIO adds just-in-time eligibility for payments, tool calls, and data gates. Issue before action. Verify at the boundary. Spent-proof when actions must be single-use.
Agents are a major non-human identity class. Same verify endpoint serves MCP, LangChain, n8n, and custom orchestrators.
Coexistence with workload identity
AffixIO does not replace SPIFFE or cloud IAM. It answers a different question: given this authenticated workload, is it allowed to perform this gated action under policy now?
Roll out on highest blast-radius agents first. Measure secret reduction. Expand to broader automation fleets.
Operational detail for machine identity eligibility
Place issue at consent or policy satisfaction, then verify at the first external boundary. Deny should return a stable code for support. Allow should attach Merkle metadata to the record your finance or ops team already stores.
When WAN is unreliable, run local verify with cached keys and sync Merkle inclusion later. Offline QR and edge agents use the same spent-proof rules as online gates.
UCP merchant gap
Identity without action-level proof
SPIFFE, cloud workload identity, and service accounts authenticate machines. They rarely express whether this agent may spend, export, or administer right now.
Standing secrets for agents
Bots hold broad keys that outlive the task they were minted for.
Coarse RBAC for automation
Role membership does not bind amount, counterparty, or expiry.
Agent sprawl
New AI agents reuse legacy service credentials.
Forensics gaps
Infrastructure logs show authentication, not signed policy decisions.
MCP hook
Machine identity eligibility before agent actions execute
Machine identities bridging to agent runtimes often share credentials across automation tiers. Eligibility gates with JIT proofs and spent-proof limit what each machine actor can do per session.
Inventory agent and bot credentials
List non-human identities that spend or export data.
Define action scopes per class
Payment, export, admin: separate circuits.
Issue JIT eligibility proofs
Mint short TTL proofs at action time.
Verify and optionally spend
Gate execution and block replay where required.
Gate checklist
Readiness checks for machine identity eligibility
- Map machine identities to consequential actions.
- Replace standing agent keys with scoped proofs on pilot flows.
- Enable spent-proof for one-shot operations.
- Store Merkle refs with transaction and audit logs.
- Test offline agent edges if devices act disconnected.
Compliance FAQ
Questions on machine identity eligibility
Replace cloud IAM?
No. AffixIO gates policy outcomes on top of workload authentication.
Human users too?
Yes. Issue binds human or machine subject depending on circuit design.
Agentic payments?
Machine identity gates apply at AP2, UCP, and checkout boundaries alike.
Related reading?
See non-human identity verification trend and agent authorisation product page.
Related briefs
Pages that support machine identity eligibility
AI agents
More AI agent briefs
Test machine identity eligibility
Run eligibility verify in sandbox, then attach gates to machine identity issuance at your boundary.