At Google Cloud Next, one statement particularly caught the attention of innovators and cybersecurity professionals alike:
“We’re entering a world where agents don’t just interact with people, they coordinate with each other to get things done.”
Google’s introduction of Agent 2 Agent (A2A) marks a major evolution in AI architecture. It enables autonomous agents to collaborate across services, platforms, and domains—unlocking powerful use cases across virtually every industry.
When combined with open standards like the Multi-Agent Collaboration Platform (MCP), Open Policy Agent (OPA), and the Orchestration Framework for Collaboration (OFC), it’s clear we are entering a new era of enterprise automation and intelligent orchestration.
At Teneo, we see this as a tremendous opportunity for innovation—and a critical moment to re-examine enterprise security posture.
With A2A, AI agents can now initiate actions, share context, and coordinate complex workflows without human intervention. Imagine an AI agent triaging a support ticket and autonomously initiating a refund, notifying logistics, and triggering an SLA compliance check—all in real-time and without a single person involved. This is the kind of intelligent automation that promises exponential gains in efficiency, cost savings, and customer satisfaction. But while the business benefits are clear, so are the risks.
A2A: A New Attack Surface
Every new connection between AI agents introduces a potential vulnerability. These communication channels—if not properly secured—can become conduits for Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks, data exfiltration, or prompt injection threats.
Unlike traditional APIs or workflows, AI agent communication often carries intent, not just data. A compromised agent could manipulate decision-making processes, escalate privileges, or introduce subtle logic errors that ripple across the enterprise.
The reality is simple: A2A expands your attack surface, and with it, your risk.
Why Enterprises Need a Robust AI TRiSM Strategy
This is where AI Trust, Risk, and Security Management (AI TRiSM) becomes essential.
To safely harness the power of A2A and similar multi-agent frameworks, enterprises need to adopt AI TRiSM-first approach that includes:
- Policy governance using solutions like OPA to define agent behavior
- Secure communication protocols with encryption and agent identity validation
- Provenance tracking for every agent action
- Continuous auditing and observability to detect anomalies in real-time
Security cannot be retrofitted. It must be built into the very DNA of your AI ecosystem.
How Teneo Helps Secure the Future of AI
At Teneo, we’re helping clients build secure, high-performance AI ecosystems that balance innovation with governance. Our approach integrates AIM TRiSM principles into the foundation of every AI initiative—ensuring that businesses can move fast, stay compliant, and remain protected.
As AI agents become more powerful and autonomous, the need for strong policy enforcement, visibility, and threat mitigation becomes non-negotiable. Whether you’re experimenting with A2A, deploying MCP and OFC, or developing your own AI agent architecture, our team brings the expertise to guide you safely through this new frontier.
Author:
Brett Ayres, CTO, Teneo