Why Today’s Access Models Break in Complex Environments
Legacy tools were designed for single perimeters: users in offices, apps in one environment, and static roles assigned to each.
But modern infrastructure isn’t centralized, and neither are your users. Tech spans Kubernetes clusters, multi-cloud apps, on-premise systems, and now AI agents acting on behalf of users. Each layer speaks its own access language—from IAM in the cloud to Role-based Access Control (RBAC) in Kubernetes to VPN-based ACLs for legacy apps.
This creates identity fragmentation. Every system has different roles, entitlements, and access paths. And when identity is fragmented, there’s no single source of trust.
This manifests in organizations differently, but the result is often:
Over-permissioned access that’s hard to unwind
Manual exceptions that accumulate across environments
Brittle workflows that block developers and delay operations
Blind spots that attackers exploit using valid credentials
What was once manageable becomes unscalable — and high-risk — when identity isn’t unified.
What It Means to Enforce Access with Identity — Not Networks
Zero Trust isn’t just about blocking traffic. It’s about verifying who is making a request, what they’re trying to access, and whether that access is still appropriate.
Legacy tools verify access once — usually based on network location. If you’re on the VPN, you’re trusted. But that trust is broad, persistent, and blind to context.
Pomerium takes a different approach. It enforces access at the application layer, evaluating every request in real time using all available context including:
Identity: User, service, or AI agent
Role and group membership
Device posture, time, and risk signals
Policy configuration
Instead of implicit trust based on network presence, Pomerium continuously applies policy based on identity and context — whether it’s a human, service, or AI agent — and routes the request accordingly.
The Business and Security Impact of Getting Identity Right
Identity isn’t just a login. It’s the most common way attackers get in.
According to IBM X-Force, identity-based attacks now account for 30% of total intrusions, tied with public-facing app exploits as the top access vector.
When identity becomes the enforcement point:
Security improves — no more static credentials or long-lived sessions
Operations simplify — policies apply across environments from a single source
Developers move faster — no VPNs, jump hosts, or ticket queues
Audit and compliance get easier — every access request is logged and traceable
With nearly one in three attacks involving valid credentials, fragmented identity isn't just inefficient — it’s a risk.
Unifying identity-based access helps security teams enforce policy, helps auditors prove it, and helps developers stay unblocked.
Examples of Identity-Based Access in Action
Pomerium provides secure access for any use case where users, services, or AI agents are performing work, without the risk of over-permissioned access or maintaining dozens of one-offs exceptions.
Human Access | Service Access | Agentic Access |
Identity-based access to tools like Grafana, Jenkins, and ArgoCD | CI pipelines deploying across dev, staging, and prod | LLM agents making requests with the identity of the user who prompted them |
Just-in-time access for production access | Services calling APIs across clusters or namespaces | AI copilots triggering internal workflows without overbroad permissions |
Scoped, time-limited access for contractors | Microservices accessing external APIs with least-privilege | Auditable prompts and access enforcement for every agent interaction |
How Pomerium Makes It Happen — Without Agents, VPNs, or External Proxies
Most access tools require tradeoffs: agents on devices, routing traffic through a vendor, or relying on VPNs that punch holes in your network.
Pomerium takes a different approach. It works in your environment, at the application layer, with identity as the source of truth.
Authorize per request — Evaluate each request based on identity, time, device, and context
Route with identity — Dynamically enforce policy at the application layer
Connect any IdP — Connect any OIDC-compatible provider
Deploy in your stack — Works with Kubernetes, cloud, or on-prem apps
Keep data in your control — Data stays in your control; traffic never leaves your environment
-> Learn how it works in any environment
Prove Compliance. Reduce Risk. Stay in Control.
Security and compliance teams need more than logs and MFA. They need enforceable policy, traceable identity, and full visibility across environments.
Pomerium helps you move beyond checklists with real-time access control that aligns to major frameworks.
Enforce least-privilege access across users, services, and agents
Log every action with verified identity
Align with compliance frameworks like SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001, and NIST 800-53,
Eliminate manual approvals and inconsistent exception handling
Avoid vendor lock-in or data exposure through third-party relays
Ready To Learn More?
Ready to secure human, service, and agent access without complexity?
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