In a significant move within the tech industry, Oasis Security, spearheaded by former Israel Defense Forces cyber R&D director Danny Brickman, has successfully secured $120 million in funding aimed at addressing the increasingly complex needs of digital identity management. This New York-based startup is focused on a unique niche: the management of non-human identities, which include machines, services, and AI agents, essential for modern enterprises.

The extensive funding, led by Craft Ventures in a Series B round, is intended to overhaul traditional identity governance mechanisms. Brickman outlined that Oasis aims to implement automated, real-time governance systems that function at machine speed continuously, moving away from slower, outdated methods. As organizations increasingly rely on complex technology ecosystems, this shift is timely, allowing for enhanced visibility and control over identities at scale.

“The core mission of Oasis has always been to redefine the identity market,” Brickman stated in an interview. He noted that it became evident early on that as machines become more integral, the existing frameworks—primarily designed for human identities—needed a substantial transformation. Thus, Oasis embarked on this new path three and a half years ago with a specific focus on non-human identities.

Founded in 2022, Oasis Security currently employs 142 individuals and has aggregated a total of $195 million in funding, having previously completed a $35 million Series A extension round led by industry heavyweights such as Accel, Cyberstarts, and Sequoia Capital. With Brickman at the helm—who boasts over seven years of experience with the IDF, culminating in his role as head of cyber R&D—the company is uniquely positioned to address these emergent challenges.

Revamping Identity Governance for a New Era

The distinction between Oasis and legacy identity governance tools is stark. Traditional systems rely heavily on human oversight, periodic reviews, and static enforcement, which Brickman noted fails to scale in environments where thousands or millions of machine identities are created and modified dynamically. Oasis intends to fill this gap through automated governance capabilities that enable enterprises to manage identities effectively without the necessity of manual intervention.

“Over the last three years, we’ve made significant investments in understanding how to secure and support various identities,” Brickman commented. “We recognize that machine and non-human identities are now prevalent, yet legacy systems have largely ignored their requirements.” Thus, the company initially prioritized establishing visibility into identity ecosystems, which then evolved into comprehensive governance and automation solutions.

Brickman explained that to craft a robust identity platform, various components are essential, helping enterprises transition away from outdated systems efficiently. Instead of assigning static permissions based on predefined roles, Oasis’ platform dynamically assesses the access requirements of an agent based on its specified objectives. This novel method aligns more closely with the operational paradigms of modern AI systems, albeit introducing fresh technical challenges in accurately interpreting intent and securing enforceable permissions.

Brickman emphasized, “Oasis introduces a policy-driven access layer that centralizes and controls agent access,” allowing businesses to establish strong security measures while adapting to a rapidly changing tech landscape.

Countering the Centralized Identity Provider Model

The concept of utilizing a single, centralized identity provider has become increasingly impractical in contemporary enterprise settings where diverse systems maintain distinct identity frameworks. In response, Oasis offers a unifying layer, permitting organizations to retain their current identity systems while simultaneously achieving enhanced centralized oversight and control over access policies.

“We leverage existing identity providers and technologies, enabling normalized access across various systems in a cohesive manner,” Brickman noted. This approach not only supports legacy infra but enhances the entire identity management landscape for enterprises.

The integration of non-human identity management with intent analysis and real-time auditing establishes a closed-loop system for agent-driven access, ensuring all actions taken by agents are both authorized and traceable. This dual focus on intent analysis and identity governance creates a comprehensive framework, heralding a new age for managing access across enterprise systems.

“Essentially, we are substituting outdated management and governance frameworks with innovative solutions tailored to today’s demands,” Brickman asserted. As legacy vendors begin to integrate support for machine identities and AI agents, Brickman pointed out that many of these systems were originally tailored for human-centric functions. As a result, modifying these antiquated frameworks to accommodate machine-driven access poses significant challenges, which Brickman believes gives Oasis a decisive advantage as it has been designed for this purpose from the start.

With every Fortune 500 company as a prospective Oasis client, Brickman expressed confidence, proclaiming, “Oasis is poised to become the identity platform of the future,” creating a paradigm shift in how organizations manage identities and access in an increasingly automated world.