AgentKey · Protocols

MCP Security

MCP security is the set of controls that protect Model Context Protocol connections, the standard way AI models and clients discover and call external tools, covering tool vetting, authorization, credential handling, and audit logging.

By AgentKey · Last updated 2026-09-01

Why MCP needs its own controls

The Model Context Protocol lets a model dynamically discover and call tools a client exposes. That flexibility is exactly what makes it powerful and what makes it risky: the set of tools is not fixed at build time, and the credentials the bridge uses are privileged.

Controls that matter

Authorization: every tool call through the bridge is checked against policy, not just the tools known at config time.
Tool vetting: tools the bridge exposes are scored and can be blocked when revoked.
Credential isolation: upstream credentials are stored encrypted and proxied, never handed to the model.
Audit: every call is recorded with the same evidence chain as SDK calls.
Mode: observe records without blocking; enforce blocks and escalates.

A bridge, not a bypass

A secure MCP bridge applies the same authorization and evidence pipeline to MCP calls that the SDK applies to direct calls. There is no separate, weaker policy path for protocol-based tool use.

Where AgentKey fits

AgentKey speaks MCP. Point a Claude, Cursor, or custom MCP client at the AgentKey bridge and every tool call flows through the same authorization, risk, and evidence pipeline as the SDK. Upstream credentials are encrypted and proxied.

Frequently asked questions

What is MCP security?

The controls that protect Model Context Protocol connections: authorizing every tool call through the bridge, vetting tools, isolating upstream credentials, and audit logging each call.

How are MCP calls authorized?

Through a bridge that applies the same policy and evidence pipeline as direct SDK calls. There is no separate, weaker path for protocol-based tool use.