Okta buys AI security startup Permiso; source says for about $200M

Okta, an identity management company, acquired Permiso Security, an AI security startup, in a deal valued at just under $200 million structured as mostly cash. Permiso develops software that detects suspicious activity in cloud environments and monitors AI agents and other machine identities for malicious behavior. The acquisition reflects growing demand from enterprises to secure AI agents and non-human identities as companies deploy autonomous software more widely, shifting identity management beyond just verifying user logins to continuous monitoring of what users, applications, and AI agents do after gaining access.