Microsoft’s post says the “identity and access” battleground is accelerating because attackers are using AI to scale password attacks and phishing, create convincing impersonations (voice/video), and even adapt their tactics as they move through a network. In response, it recommends two immediate priorities for 2026: use AI on the defense side to make protection faster and more adaptive, and treat AI agents as first-class identities that must be inventoried, owned, governed, and restricted like human accounts. The article points to Microsoft Entra’s agent capabilities—such as helping admins analyze sign-in patterns and policy gaps—and cites a study where an Entra Conditional Access optimization agent helped admins complete tasks 43% faster and 48% more accurately.

The other two priorities focus on closing systemic gaps: unify identity and network access so they share signals and enforce one consistent Zero Trust policy (“Access Fabric”), and strengthen your baseline so you “start secure and stay secure.” The post argues that many organizations run multiple disconnected identity and network tools, which creates seams attackers can exploit; an integrated approach should continuously reevaluate risk beyond the initial login and block risky users, apps, or even agents in real time. For the baseline, Microsoft emphasizes moving away from passwords toward phishing-resistant credentials (including passkeys), and improving high-assurance onboarding and account recovery (for example, identity verification and “live person” checks) so attackers can’t simply social-engineer resets when initial access fails.

Source: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/01/20/four-priorities-for-ai-powered-identity-and-network-access-security-in-2026/