Secure Access for AI Agents

Choose this pattern when AI agents need access to protected APIs, user data, or organization resources through controlled authorization.

Typical Requirements

• Authenticate machine-to-machine agent calls.
• Support user-delegated actions from agent workflows.
• Scope tokens tightly to the minimum required permissions.
• Audit agent activity and token usage.

Recommended Baseline Flow

1. Register each agent or agent platform as an application.
2. Use client credentials for background agent operations.
3. Use authorization code flows when user consent is required.
4. Apply short-lived access tokens and rotate client secrets.
5. Enforce scope validation for every API operation.

Thunder Capabilities to Use

• OAuth 2.0 token issuance for service and delegated access.
• Flow orchestration when user interaction is required.
• MCP support for agent-centric identity integration in the MCP Server Guide.
• REST APIs for application and token lifecycle automation.

Implementation Checklist

1. Define which agent actions require user delegation.
2. Separate machine scopes from user scopes.
3. Configure token lifetime and rotation policies.
4. Add API-side scope and audience checks.
5. Capture authentication and authorization events for auditing.